Bring Me Back To Life
by serenadreams
Summary: Damon mysteriously disappears and Elena's life is turned upside down. Tragedy strikes and Stefan does something she can never forgive. Alone and broken Elena sinks into depression. Damon returns but is he too late? Mild adult themes & sensitive content.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Elena traipsed up the stairs to the boarding house, she was surprised to see it remain closed, usually Damon had it open before she'd even knocked.

She tapped lightly on the door, knowing that with their vampire senses the brothers would hear.

The door opened to reveal Stefan. He smiled at her.

"Hey Elena." He said softly pulling her in for a kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist but she pulled away.

"Where's Damon?" She asked.

She knew it was a mood killer but his car was in the drive and it wasn't like him not to come and say hello.

Stefan sighed.

"Gone." He said abruptly.

Elena looked at him with a frown.

"What do you mean gone? Where?" She stared at him, confused.

"I mean he left. He probably got bored of the town and decided to move on, Damon's like that."

Elena looked at him nervously.

"No he's not, Stefan. And why wouldn't he take his car?" She asked.

Stefan shrugged.

"Went on foot."

Elena turned away from him and ran upstairs, she headed towards Damon's room and threw open the door.

His bed was unmade and a shirt and a pair of jeans were thrown over the back of a chair. She opened the closet and wasn't surprised to see all his clothes in place.

She looked around the room, trying to find anything out of place. She remembered Damon once telling her that the only thing he had kept from his human life was his mother's ring. She looked around, wondering where he would keep it. She noticed an almost hidden drawer in the bottom of his antique dresser. She knelt down beside it and pulled it open, smiling in satisfaction when she saw a small metal box.

She felt guilty for snooping through his stuff, but if he was really missing, proving that he hadn't left of his own accord might be the only way to help him.

She opened the little box and gasped in surprise at the contents.

There was a ring box, which contained his mother's beautiful, ruby encrusted ring. There was a small portrait of a beautiful woman, who, based on the familiar eyes was his mother. There was another ring, this one set with the lapis stone that protected vampires from the sun, and then the most surprising object; a photo of her. It had been taken at the miss mystic falls pageant; she was wearing her blue dress and smiling sweetly at the camera.

Elena picked the photo up and stared at it. She hadn't taken Damon for the sentimental type. She knew that he had come to care about her, but she wondered why he had deemed a picture of her precious enough to be kept in a box with his most treasured artifacts.

She sighed and slipped the photo into her pocket, she stood up and carried the box downstairs.

She walked up to Stefan who was sitting on the couch, staring absently into the fire.

"He would never leave without this." She said, handing him the box.

He examined the objects, his brows knitted together.

"He told me these had been lost." He murmured.

Elena rolled her eyes, she understood why Damon would do that, Stefan always ended up getting everything; Damon had wanted something that was just his.

"So, something's happened." She said triumphantly.

Stefan shook his head.

"Like what, Elena? I can't think of anyone who would want to hurt Damon."

Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, I can't think of anybody who wants to hurt Damon and is capable of it." He corrected himself.

Elena frowned.

"Well what about the wolves, they nearly got the better of him last time." She said.

"Elijah killed them."

"Ok, then someone you used to know, someone who has a grudge against him."

Stefan sighed.

"Look, I am ninety nine percent sure that he just got bored and decided to go exploring. He probably didn't take his stuff because he's planning on coming back at some point. It's only been a couple of days." He said.

Elena chewed on her lips nervously.

"If we haven't heard from him in two weeks I'll look into it, ok?" He said, trying to placate Elena.

She sighed and sank into the sofa.

"I just worry about him sometimes." She admitted.

Stefan gave her a strained smile.

"He's a big boy Elena, he can take care of himself."

Stefan stroked her hair and kissed her cheek but she wasn't in the mood. She stood up and reached for the box. Stefan held it away from her.

"I'm going to put it back in his room." She said.

Stefan sighed.

"This stuff is as much mine as it is his. I don't have a picture of our mother." He said thoughtfully.

"Stefan." Elena said reproachfully. "He kept this stuff for years, it's his."

She took the box out of his hands and gave him a long look before walking out of the room.

On a whim she decided to take the box with her, now that Stefan knew about this stuff he might go looking for it. Elena wasn't sure why but she wanted to keep this secret little box and it's contents intact. She knew that she was being silly but it touched her that Damon had treasured something so…human.

She thought about the picture of her, and decided that she shouldn't read too much into it. Damon was unpredictable, who knew why he did the things he did.

**Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

><p>She cried, she didn't know quite why, but she knew that she <em>missed <em>him. She missed him so much that it hurt. Where was he? Was he ok? These thoughts haunted Elena as she went about her every day routine.

She was sure that Damon hadn't left of his own accord, whatever Stefan, Bonnie or Caroline might say. Alaric and Jeremy agreed with her, they had both grown unwillingly fond of Damon and were sure, if not only for his blatant attachment to Elena; he wouldn't have left without a word.

And yet still no one would really get on board with looking for him, they had checked the usual threats, Katherine, Jules, John; with no such luck. Now everyone had decided to let it go, he would turn up, they said. He would be fine; he's a big boy. Elena wanted to search, she wanted to turn the whole fucking world upside down until she found Damon. Her sarcastic, narcissistic, blue eyed Damon.

As it was, she contented herself with hiding his box of treasured things under her bed and mentally promising herself that she would, without a doubt see him again.

She may love Stefan, but Damon was, Damon. There had always been a connection, a connection that Elena had fought for even when he had done his best to make her hate him. Even when she saw red because she was so angry at his arrogant ass, she knew that she would give her own life for his. And now that he was, essentially MIA, the thought of what he might be suffering at the hands of some long forgotten enemy, physically hurt her.

Stefan was worried too, she knew that deep down he cared about Damon but he cared about Elena more, so his priority was to keep her safe, not search for his elusive brother.

So as it was, Elena spent her days returning Stefan's kisses and embraces halfheartedly. She traipsed through her life, with the ever-present doom and gloom hanging over her head. The only people that were keeping her smiling were her loved ones. Jenna, Jeremy, Caroline and Bonnie. Stefan of course, was there as well but things were getting more and more strained; she always felt tense when around him.

It was a Saturday, exactly one week after Damon's disappearance when Elena's cell phone buzzed with a message from Stefan. She got up from where she was lying sprawled on her bed, threw the book she had been reading onto her bedside table and reached for her phone.

_There's something you need to see, can you come over? S._

She sighed and grabbed her well-worn leather jacket from the back of a chair. Slipping on her shoes she headed for the car. She was curious and slightly apprehensive, Stefan was rarely so mysterious.

She pulled up in the familiar drive and felt the normal pang as she walked towards the door, remembering how Damon always used to open it just before she knocked. She sighed and let her self in.

"Stefan?" She called.

"In the library." Came his reply.

She shrugged off her jacket and threw it onto a counter before traipsing into the old Salvatore library. Stefan was sitting in one of the large armchairs with a piece of paper in his hand. He looked up when she walked in and gave her a weak smile.

"It's from Damon." He said quietly, holding up what Elena now saw to be a note.

Stefan didn't miss the way her eyes lit up at the mention of his brother. He looked away.

She ran up to him and grabbed the paper from his hand.

"Is he ok? What happened? Where is he?" She asked frantically.

He sighed.

"He's fine, perfectly fine." Stefan said, a hint of bitterness mixed with the relief in his voice.

Elena frowned and scanned the paper in her hands. She tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes.

_Stefan and Elena,_

_I hope you're both well._

_Sorry to leave so suddenly, it was a spur of the moment sort of thing. Something came up and I had to take care of it, I'm going to stay on this side of the pond for a while, I had forgotten how much fun Europe can be…_

_Feel free to clean out my room and put it to good use._

_Damon._

The note was typed, and brusque. There was no emotion, no sign that he cared. Elena turned away from Stefan to hide her tears.

She tucked the paper into her pocket and left the house without a word.

**Hope you like it! And don't forget to review ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

She didn't care. She wouldn't let him get to her; she wouldn't let him make her sad, she wouldn't shed another tear for Damon Salvatore. She was done.

Elena sat on her window seat, gazing out at the garden below, her diary lay open on her lap and her hand was loosely holding a purple fountain pen. The page was blank.

She had put Damon's note in the box along side the picture of her and his mother's jewelry. Damon had been occupying her mind for the past two weeks since his letter had arrived. She hadn't realized how much she had come to treasure his friendship, how much she appreciated having him in her life. How much she took for granted the fact that he cared about her.

It looked like she had been wrong on that point. He had probably just kept that picture of her because she looked like Katherine. She had even had curly hair at that dance.

She sighed and slammed her diary closed. She got up and stretched before heading downstairs to say goodnight to Jenna.

She found her aunt sitting on the couch watching an old 80s western movie and sharing a tub of ice cream with Jeremy.

She sat next to them and stole Jenna's spoon, helping herself to the rocky road Ben and Jerry's. Jenna smiled at her.

"Are you ok honey?" She asked softly.

"Better than ever." Elena replied with a nod.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and squeezed her shoulder.

"It gets easier Lena." He murmured.

She frowned.

"What does?"

"Living without someone you love." Her brother said quietly.

Elena stared at him, she thought about setting him straight, but in the end gave him a small smile and turned her attention back to the movie.

* * *

><p>Elena woke with a start, she sat up and stared around at her dark room, she reached for her bedside lamp and flicked it on. She stifled a scream when she saw Katherine sitting in her armchair, staring at her with a cool smile.<p>

Katherine had disappeared as soon as she had been let out of the tomb, she hadn't even crossed Elena's mind what with the whole Damon issue.

"Surprised to see me?" She drawled.

Elena sighed and pulled her covers up to her chin.

"What do you want Katherine?" She asked tiredly.

Katherine shrugged.

"Revenge."

Elena frowned.

"On who?"

"You."

Elena swallowed and stared at her doppelganger, trying to hide her fear.

"What have I done to you?" She asked stiffly.

"Well, you took Stefan and Damon from me, then you went and got me locked up in that tomb…it was really very rude of you." Katherine drawled.

"Damon's in Europe. If you can find him then go get him, I don't care." Elena said.

Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"I really have gotten out of the loop haven't I?"

Elena snickered.

"Just a bit." She said.

"Well I don't want Damon. Like I said, I want revenge."

Elena suddenly felt absolutely exhausted. She was so tired of all of this, of the threats and deaths and heartache. She lay back in her bed.

"Go ahead, do whatever it is you came here to do. Kill me, I don't care." She said quietly.

Katherine looked momentarily thrown off before she gained her composure.

"Always the martyr, well I'm not going to hurt you. Not physically anyway. I think I would have trouble harming my twin…" She mused. "You took somebody I loved, I figure I'll be even if I do the same."

Elena bolted upright.

"What did you do?" She gasped.

Katherine gave her a sadistic smile.

"Jenna and Jeremy are currently enjoying a date with a few of my friends."

Elena felt tears spring to her eyes. She scrambled out of bed.

"I swear to god Katherine…"

"Oh relax Elena, I'm giving you a fair chance. You know how I love games? Well find them before sunrise and they won't be harmed. Otherwise it's going to be the last sunrise they see." Katherine said silkily as she got up from the chair.

"Why?" Elena choked.

"Because I'm bored. And you've made life very difficult for me. Normally I wouldn't be so lenient…like I said, I am actually giving you a chance. Don't waste it."

"Katherine, no. Please, you don't have to do this; we can work something out… Please!" She begged.

"Don't beg; it's degrading. You have a few hours to find them, start looking."

Katherine threw one more deadly look at Elena before disappearing out of the window.

**Don't forget to tell me what you think :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

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><p>Elena began to shake. She grabbed her phone from her bedside table and quickly called Stefan. He picked up on the second ring and sleepily asked her what was wrong. She mumbled incoherently and he hung up.<p>

A few seconds later he appeared in her room; his eyes concerned.

"Elena? What's wrong?" He whispered.

She grabbed her jacket.

"We have to go. Katherine has Jeremy and Jenna; we need to find them." She choked.

Stefan grabbed her arm.

"Whoa, whoa what do you mean Katherine has them, how do you know?" he asked.

Elena swallowed thickly.

"Katherine came here, she told me that if I didn't find them by morning…" She broke off as tears leaked down her cheek.

Stefan pulled her into a hug a softly stroked her hair.

"Are you ok? Did she hurt you?" He asked.

She struggled out of his embrace.

"We have to go." She yelled. "We don't have time for this Stefan, we need to find them right now!"

Stefan frowned.

"This could be a trap Elena." He cautioned.

She groaned in frustration.

"I don't care, we need to help Jenna and Jeremy." She said.

Stefan shook his head.

"It's too dangerous for you. You stay here and I'll go look for them." He decided.

Elena stared at him as though he had three heads.

"You cannot be serious." She yelled. "They're my only family Stefan, I have to help them."

"My decision is final Elena." Stefan said firmly. "I'll call Ric to come and make sure you don't try to follow me."

Elena gawked at him through her tears.

"You can't do this. You can't stop me from saving my family."

"Elena, your safety is my number one priority. I will find Jenna and Jeremy but not until I know you are safe." He said stiffly.

Elena shook her head slowly.

"Damon would have understood." She said suddenly. "He would never have done this to me."

Stefan looked like he had been slapped.

"You can be mad at me Elena, but I am not going to let you get hurt." He said, pulling out his phone. He called Ric and asked him to come over and stay with Elena.

She sat glowering at him from her bed. She had thought about making a dash for it but knew that she didn't stand a chance.

* * *

><p>Ric arrived and asked what all the commotion was. Elena wiped at her tear-stained cheeks and told him about Katherine's visit.<p>

He looked uncomfortable with the idea of keeping Elena in the house; he could see that her helping would be a benefit. Especially when Jenna's life was at risk, but Stefan had insisted. Saying that he would find them himself.

Elena tried to reason with him but Ric didn't want to be responsible for an eighteen year olds death, so eventually he agreed.

As Stefan turned to leave the house, Elena called his name. He half turned and looked at her.

She held his gaze with steady eyes. Her heart broke a little as she spoke.

"If any harm comes to them…I will never forgive you." She said calmly.

He stared at her silently for a moment before stiffly nodding his head and leaving.

Ric watched Elena, an unrecognizable look on his face as he took in the interaction.

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she realized that she was being serious. She would blame him. Maybe she was being selfish, he was after all just trying to protect her, but her family was her responsibility. If she wanted to risk her life for them it wasn't his call to make.

Elena sat stiffly on the couch in her living room, watching as the sky lightened. She was snuggled in one of Jeremy's hoodies, her eyes fixed on the window.

When the sun peaked out from behind its cover and shone its golden rays across her face, Elena began to cry. Ric came and sat next to her, awkwardly rubbing her back while he too panicked inside at the thought of them never returning.

It was nearly noon by the time Stefan arrived.

He entered the room and looked at them silently. Elena and Ric hadn't moved from their positions on the couch. Elena looked up at him through her tear-soaked lashes and prayed that Jenna and Jeremy would walk through the door behind him. They didn't.

She stared at him coldly and as he looked at her his face twisted in pain and remorse.

"Elena…I'm so sorry, I found them…but I was too late." He whispered.

She nodded. Fighting the break down that was creeping up on her, she rose steadily from the couch.

"Get out." She said, her voice surprisingly strong.

Stefan stared at her, his brow furrowing in pain.

"Elena…" He began.

She shook her head and cut him off.

"I don't ever want to see you again Stefan. You or…Damon."

She was fighting the lump in her throat, willing herself to be strong enough to do this. She had thought she loved these brothers. They had come into her world like a whirlwind and turned it upside down. They had made her smile again, and given her adventures and kindness and what she had obviously misinterpreted as love. Well, she could see that Stefan did love her, it was written in his eyes, but sometimes that wasn't enough, when respect and equality weren't part of the deal.

The thought of a life without them was a daunting prospect but she shook her fear away. Damon had already gone, and she had survived that one. She could survive the second one. She knew she would never be able to look Stefan in the eyes knowing that her family was dead because of him. Maybe she was being unfair, she didn't know, she didn't care. She just knew what she had to do.

"Now get the hell out of my house." She finished. Spitting the words, her tone cold and unwavering.

Stefan's face crumpled as he looked at her but he nodded.

"I'm so sorry Elena." He whispered as he turned to leave.

She watched as he opened the door and disappeared. Then she broke. She fell to the floor as gut-wrenching sobs overwhelmed her. Ric ran to her side, tears staining his own cheeks as he tried to comfort her. She lay on the floor and cried; her chest heaving as horrific pain consumed her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

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><p>The next morning dawned cold and grey; Elena lay in bed, unwilling to move, to live. She lay in her own world, Jeremy's childhood teddy bear clutched in her arms. After their parents death he had kept her going, she knew that she needed to be strong so that she could help her baby brother. His death was unbearable. She had failed; she hadn't been able to protect him, to look after him.<p>

Ric called and asked how she was doing. She answered him monosyllabically and after a while he gave up.

She lay in bed, tears silently etching tracks down her pale cheeks.

Sometime during the afternoon there was a knock on her door. It creaked open and Caroline tiptoed in. She sat on the edge of Elena's bed and pulled her into a hug.

Elena relaxed in her friend's embrace and found momentary solace in the comfort. Too soon she pulled away.

"I'm so sorry honey." She whispered.

Elena shook her head.

"Don't be. Its not your fault." She replied.

Caroline looked away, a guilty expression creeping across her face.

"Elena, you're like a sister to me. But…" She broke off. Looking at Elena nervously.

Elena looked away, her heart sinking as she recognized the look. The look she had seen far too many times in her short life, bad news.

"Just spit it out Caroline." She said tiredly.

"I'm going with Stefan." Caroline whispered.

Elena's eyes flew to hers in shock.

"What?" She gasped.

Caroline's brow creased and she rushed to explain.

"I'm still so new to this life, I need someone to show me how everything works, to help me. Stefan and Damon are the only vampires I know. I need his help Elena." She said quickly.

Elena stared at her, another little piece of her heart crumbling as she looked into her familiar face. But she nodded, understanding.

"It's ok. I get it. Don't worry." She murmured.

Caroline smiled softly and hugged her again.

"I wish things had gone differently." She said softly.

Elena nodded, a stray tear slipping down her nose.

"Me too."

Caroline gave her one last reassuring squeeze before standing and turning to leave, her eyes glistening with tears.

"I love you Care." Elena called after her.

She turned back and gave a weak smile.

"I love you too Lena." She replied quietly before closing the door behind her and disappearing out of Elena's life.

* * *

><p>The funeral was a small ceremony. There were no bodies to bury. Elena stood alone, trying to hold herself together as she avoided the eyes of the rest attendees.<p>

After every one had left, she sat on the grass, staring at the four headstones. Miranda Gilbert, Grayson Gilbert, Jeremy Gilbert, Jenna Sommers. Her family.

She felt herself slipping away. Felt her heart closing against the pain in self-preservation.

* * *

><p>The next few days past in a blur, Ric stopped by once or twice to see how she was doing but he didn't really know what comfort he could give. So lost in his own mourning, eventually he gave up, drawing his curtains and retreating to his couch at home.<p>

The next few days past in a blur, Ric stopped by once or twice to see how she was doing but he didn't really know what comfort he could give. So lost in his own mourning, eventually he gave up, drawing his curtains and retreating to his couch at home.

Elena meticulously tidied the house every day. Desperate for something to do with her hands, trying in vain to keep her mind busy.

She had tried calling Bonnie a few times but she hadn't answered. Elena had never been this alone and it was painful. She raided Jenna's booze stash and drank away her tears.

She found that it numbed the pain; it made it easier to breathe. So every day she drank a little more. Her vision constantly fuzzy and her mind constantly loose. To her it didn't matter if she danced the night away, or lay curled up in a sobbing ball. As long as she kept thoughts from entering her mind she was ok.

On the third week Bonnie came to see her. She stared in shock at the state of her former best friend. Her beautiful chestnut hair was straggled and greasy, pulled back into a tight knot. Her eyes, usually so bright and full of life and kindness were now empty and bloodshot. She managed a smile when she saw Bonnie. Opening her arms and falling upon her, delighted to see someone who was a part of her former life. Bonnie returned the hug stiffly.

"Elena." She began.

Elena looked at her, her eyes wide and innocent despite her pain and alcohol consumption.

"I just came to say that we're done." Bonnie whispered, looking at the floor.

Elena stared at her, not understanding.

"Done with what?" She asked.

Bonnie shook her head.

"You and me, we're done Elena." She said quietly.

Elena stood still feeling as though she had been slapped.

"I'm sorry, I really am…but too many people have been hurt. Too many innocent lives have been lost because of them." She said furiously.

Elena shook her head.

"But they're gone. I don't know Stefan or Damon anymore." She whispered.

Bonnie sighed.

"I just…I can't forgive you for getting them involved in our life Elena." She said. "Grams, Vicky, Caroline, Jeremy…I loved those people, and they took them from me. I can't pretend that…that I don't blame you."

Elena sat down shakily; her shoulders slumped.

She nodded. She deserved this; it was all her fault. Why else would all have this have happened to her? Even Ric didn't come to see her anymore.

Bonnie looked at her friend one last time before turning and hurrying away.

Elena broke down then, she smashed everything she could get her hands on, destroying and tearing at her house. Tears, uncontrollable tears blinding her.

This was all her fault. Absolutely everything that had happened to everybody she cared about was all her fault. Her parents had died because of her selfishness; Jenna and Jeremy had died because of whom she chose to hang out with. She was a bad person. An abomination.

As she repeatedly smashed the plates in the kitchen, the jagged china caught her skin, sending blood pooling into her palm.

She watched it, mesmerized. She didn't feel pain, just a comforting numbness. She grabbed the rough shard of crockery and dragged it across her arm. The skin parted and blood seeped slowly from the wound. She didn't know what she was doing; maybe she had gone mad, mad with pain. She didn't know anymore. She didn't care.

She watched the blood trickle down her arms and her tears stopped, replaced by a surprising calm. From there, things could only get worse.

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><p><strong>Told you this would be darker than my other stories! Don't worry, Damon will come in to play soon ;)<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six **

Elena settled into a sort of sordid routine. Obsessively tidying the house to the point that it looked unlived in, dragging blades across her arms and passing out from the affects of excessive alcohol consumption.

She was slowly but surely losing the will to live, every day killing herself with guilt and self-loathing. It was a torturous and lonely process. Sheriff Forbes had come by once to ask if she knew anything about Caroline's disappearance. Elena had closed the door in her face.

The first time she went out was nearly four weeks after the incident. She had run out of alcohol. And right now that was the sole thing keeping her from her thoughts. She had lost her self, lost herself to pain and regret. Everyday she sank deeper and deeper; booze was her vice.

She stumbled into the local liquor store, inwardly groaning at the fact that everyone in this town knew everyone.

"Elena Gilbert. You are not twenty one honey." The man at the checkout said with a raised eyebrow.

She deposited an armful of bottles onto the counter and flashed him what Caroline used to call her 'kilowatt' smile. She looked up at him through her lashes, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Frank, how about you cut me some slack?" She whimpered.

He visibly melted under her gaze.

"I could lose my job Elena." He complained.

She batted her eyes and silently pleaded with him.

He looked torn for a moment before quickly putting the bottles into a bag and shoving it into her hands.

"Get out of here quick. And don't tell your friends." He whispered.

She smiled gratefully and ran out of the shop. She dumped the bag in the backseat of her car and drove slowly towards home. She slowed as she passed Mystic Falls' only club. What was she doing? She asked herself as she drew to a stop.

She watched a group of scantily clad girls run inside giggling. She parked the car and got out, standing in the street debating her options. She could get back in the car and go home, get drunk and pass out. Or she could venture into the bar, get drunk and pass out.

She walked towards the entrance, swallowing her nerves. She had never been in this place before, people had always warned her to stay away. It was one of the only dodgy places in Mystic Falls, even Damon had found it too skuzzy.

She noticed the guy at the door checking IDs and glanced down at her sweatpants and long t-shirt. There was no way she could plead her way in looking like this. Before she could think about what she was doing she ducked behind a wall and pulled off her pants, she pulled out the cord string and wrapped it around her tiny waist, tying it tight. Her long thin legs were bare to her upper thighs, if anything would get her in it was that.

She approached the door and the bouncer looked her up and down. She gave him a sultry look and bit her lower lip. He gave her a quick nod and she walked passed him and into the club.

As she looked around the darkened room she wondered what the hell she was doing. This was dangerous, to be here alone. She didn't have Damon or Stefan to come rescue her anymore. She scowled at that thought and pushed them out of her head. She was here because she wanted the danger, she deserved it, she deserved the pain. She was a bad person.

She made her way over to the bar and ordered scotch straight up. She had learned the benefits of that drink from Damon.

Halfway into her second one, some sleazy looking guy came and sat far too close to her. She frowned and tried to move away. He rested his hand on her ass, flashing her a toothy smile.

"What's your name gorgeous?" He asked.

She stared at him and the sudden desire to feel something other than emptiness overwhelmed her. She felt vaguely sick at what she was about to do but pushed her thoughts away. She wanted to get lost in sensations, detach from her brain and heart for a few short minutes.

She leaned towards him.

"Here's the deal. We go to the bathroom, have hot sex with no strings attached and never see each other again. You won't ask my name or my life story and you won't mention this to any of your friends. Take it or leave it." She whispered.

He stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. He quickly composed himself and nodded, standing up and leading the way to the men's restroom.

Elena was surprised to find that her heart wasn't beating erratically, her mouth wasn't dry and her feelings were distant, subjective.

They walked into the small room and she locked the door behind her. He was instantly in front of her, roughly pressing her against the wall. She jerked his zipper down and threw his jeans to the floor. He groaned in appreciation when she yanked her t-shirt up and pulled down her panties. They didn't bother taking off their tops, he didn't kiss her and she didn't want him to.

He fucked her hard and emotionlessly and as she focused on the pleasure, for a few moments she lost sight of the pain. She suddenly had a greater understanding for Damon. The drinking and meaningless sex numbed heartbreak.

When they were done they wordlessly straightened their clothes and walked out, going their separate ways. She had never known sex to be so detached. But it had done the job; it had taken her mind of things.

By the time she got home the brief emotional solace had gone and she was left with the guilt and disgust of what she had done.

Chest heaving, she dragged a razor across her marred arms.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

><p>Days turned into weeks and Elena continued her downward spiral. Life held no meaning. She went to the club regularly and she began to lose any sight of her old life. She just kept slipping deeper into this destructive spiral.<p>

* * *

><p>Someone shook her awake.<p>

"Elena wake up. Elena!"

She opened her swollen eyes and looked around trying to focus. Her own face stared back at her.

"Katherine." Elena croaked.

Her doppelganger was staring at her with an expression she couldn't read. She struggled into a sitting position and quickly pulled her sleeves down, hiding the scars on her arms.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough?"

Katherine sighed.

"I came to say I'm sorry." She said quietly.

Elena stared at her in shock.

"What?" She gasped.

Katherine sat down next to her, her eyes briefly traveling across the dried blood on her sleeves.

"I never meant them to die…I was just, trying to scare you." She murmured.

Elena looked away.

"I thought you'd find them, you were meant to look, I didn't think that Stefan would…when I found out what had happened I was shocked. I didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I heard you were in bad shape and just wanted to let you know." She finished awkwardly.

Silent tears trickled down Elena's cheeks as Katherine stood up to leave.

"You look awful, I'm ashamed to call you my carbon copy. You should get some food in you." She said as she disappeared out of the window.

It really was all her fault. She could have saved them but she hadn't.

Elena stumbled into the bathroom and violently threw up in the toilet. She pulled the plug and splashed cold water onto her face.

She stared at her reflection, not recognizing the girl who looked back at her.

He hair was long and lanky, her skin pasty and lifeless. She was too thin and she looked weak, as though she could snap in half like a twig. There were dark rings beneath her eyes and the eyes themselves were so lost and confused that it physically hurt her to see. She smashed her hand against the glass with all her might, it cracked and her hand started to bleed. She sat down on the floor and rocked herself back and forth. What had she come to? What had her life come to? This…was this really how she was going to live from now on, was she really going to be this depressed, cheap, soulless ghost of a girl?

She had always held such belief in life and love and that belief had been replaced by cold hard cynicism. She didn't even bother to analyze why Damon's face entered her mind at the thought of love. It was a lie, all of it; the very concept of love was fake. It didn't last. It wasn't real. It wasn't worth anything.

She sobbed into her knees. What was there in this world that was worth anything? What was there to fight for, to live for? The answer was terrifying. Nothing.

As that realization hit her she stopped crying, suddenly she felt incredibly calm and centered. She brushed her fingertips along the silvery pink scars that decorated her arms. She didn't want to live a whole life of this. She couldn't take another day with no meaning.

With shaky hands she pulled out the pills left over from the aftermath of her parents death. She fumbled with the cap and emptied the bottle into her hand. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she closed her eyes.

Nothing left to lose.

She brought her hand up to her mouth and tilted her head back, letting the pills fall into her mouth. She gulped some water from the tap and lay down on the floor.

She shook violently. As her consciousness began to drift she was surprised at the word that drifted to her lips.

"Damon."

Her eyes closed and darkness descended.

* * *

><p><strong>I am going on holiday for 2 weeks and I can't take my computer :( So there will be a little hiatus in my writing for now... But just 14 days and there will be new chapters, I promise 3 <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

><p>Damon stared at the shriveled grey bodies at his feet. He had been waiting for this opportunity, for one of them to let his guard down for just a second. That was all it had taken for him to finally overpower his captors and end their miserable lives.<p>

He stared around at the dark basement; he had no idea how long he had been down here, subjected to unimaginable pain. His memory of how he had gotten here was a little fuzzy but he had quickly learned that the ringleader of this little plot was a vampire whose girlfriend he had killed at some point. He was ashamed to admit that he didn't even remember the occasion.

They had obviously been planning this for a long time; the other vampires were mostly people he had pissed off throughout the years.

He was weak, his body was laced with vervain and the evidence of his torture was not healing.

He stumbled outside, staring around at his unfamiliar surroundings, one thought on his mind. Elena.

He fed on the first human he found. He managed to stop just before he killed her and he sent her away with the usual animal attack story.

He was trying desperately to remember when and how he was taken, trying to make some sort of estimate of how long it had been. With his senses restored and his body healed, he assessed his surroundings. He was in Virginia or one of the surrounding states. He eventually, after some searching and compelling managed to figure out where he was and how to get home. He set off at a run, vampire speed being faster than any car.

Four hours later he entered the Mystic Falls boundary.

The thought of seeing Elena made his heart ache. He had missed her and worried about her incessantly during his ordeal.

He ran towards the Gilbert house deep in thought. Every muscle in his body ached and he was so tired he could sleep for a week. But he had to see her. He had to reassure himself that she was ok. He was sure that he hadn't been gone for more than a few days; he had been unconscious for the most part of his stay in that dingy cell so he wasn't entirely certain about the amount of time that he had been away.

The knowledge that with Elena, a few days could be the difference between life and death was bothering him to the point of distraction. He quickened his pace, ignoring the protest from his sore limbs. As her house came into view he was surprised to see all the lights off. Usually someone was up at this time, it wasn't late. Frowning he walked up the porch steps and knocked on the door. There was no answer. He considered the thought that Elena could be staying at the boarding house with Stefan but that didn't explain Jenna and Jeremy's absence. Growing concerned, he tried the door; it was unlocked, he pushed it open and stepped into the familiar hallway. It was too quiet.

He walked into the kitchen, his agitation growing more acute when he noticed the lack of food or dishes, or anything that indicated a human inhabitant. Trying to push away the feeling of panic that was threatening him he strode into the sitting room. It was too tidy, everything in its place, perfectly arranged. He took the stairs two at a time and cracked Jenna's door, peaking inside. Again, everything was untouched and unlived in. Jeremy's room was the same.

Steeling himself he opened Elena's door. He looked around the room, breathing in her unmistakable scent. This room looked vaguely lived in, it was slightly warmer and there were some things out of place. He couldn't hear a heartbeat so she wasn't here. He turned to leave, but as an afterthought nudged open the door to the bathroom Elena shared with Jeremy.

What he saw made his heart freeze in place.

The mirror was cracked and smeared with blood; bottles lay knocked over on the surface and the tap was running. But the thing that filled him with dread, the thing that was, without a doubt the worst sight he had ever seen in his life, was Elena.

She lay lifeless on the floor, her long dark hair fanned around her face, her lashes resting against her cheeks, small droplets of water making them sparkle like diamonds.

Damon sprang into action. He grabbed her body, pulling it off the floor and into his arms. She wasn't quite dead; he could feel her holding on by some tiny invisible thread. He glanced around the little room, trying to find some clue as to her situation.

The pill bottles.

He turned the shower on and turned the temperature down to cold. Cradling her delicate body in his arms he stood under the water, letting the cold streams hit her pale skin, he lightly slapped her cheeks, desperately trying to bring her back to him. He wiped angrily at the tears that had begun to slip out of his eyes. He stroked her hair back from her face. He bit his wrist and forced some of his blood down her unresponsive throat.

"Come on Elena." He murmured. "Come on, wake up Elena please."

She didn't stir. He felt his heart wrenching agonizingly in his chest. This couldn't be happening. This. Could. Not. Be. Happening. She had only been unconscious for about three minutes, if he had just been a tiny bit faster, he would have got here sooner. She would be fine. No. He looked over her body, noting the scent of alcohol and blood, she was too light in his arms, already tiny before; she was now impossibly thin. She wouldn't have been fine, she wasn't fine in any way, but at least she would be _alive._

He sank to the floor, still clutching onto her still form.

He let the tears fall now; he didn't care. He let himself break down, for the first time in 164 years he truly broke. He loved her, god he loved her. He couldn't understand how the universe could be so cruel, to create this beautiful, amazing creature and then to snatch her away after only eighteen short years. She was everything to him, _everything._

His mind was aching, trying to understand how this had happened. What had driven her to do this to herself, what had happened since he had been gone?

He laid his head against her chest, feeling none of the lust he would usually feel in this position with a beautiful woman. He just felt pain; he couldn't feel anything other than heartbreaking, gut-wrenching pain.

"Please Elena." He moaned, tears slipping down his nose.

She coughed.

It took him a moment to register.

_She coughed._

Her eyes flickered open, screwing up against the water that was still raining down on them.

"Elena!" He gasped.

He pulled her into an upright position, tucking her hair behind her ears and wiping her face.

He gazed into her confused chocolate eyes, feeling the most intense relief he had ever experienced.

He pulled her closer against him, holding her tight. She was still for a few moments before she pulled away roughly.

She blinked and looked around her, finally focusing on Damon. She closed her eyes and opened them again.

She gingerly reached out and poked him in the chest. He stared at her, baffled.

"Elena…" He began, reaching out for her again.

She moved out of reach, sitting huddled against the wall of the shower. Damon reached up and turned the water off.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked finally.

Damon's heart broke at the sight before his eyes. He recognized that detached look from his own reflection for years. She was broken.

"I…" He didn't know what to say, where to start, what to do.

"Did you get bored of Europe? Well the least you could do is just let me die." She spat coldly.

She wasn't sure what was going on. She hadn't expected to wake up ever again and yet here she was, gazing into the bright blue eyes that she had missed so badly. She was fighting any emotions that might betray her, might open her up just to get hurt again.

He looked completely nonplussed.

"Elena what are you…?"

She cut him off, standing up and grabbing a towel from the rack. She walked into her bedroom and he followed quickly behind, watching her with a profound sense of loss.

"I don't want to talk Damon. Get out of my house." She said firmly.

He shook his head.

"Not until you tell me what the hell has been going on around here, and why you would want to _kill yourself_."

She rolled her eyes and opened the bedroom door, gesturing for him to leave.

"You don't get to come back here and pretend like you care." She whispered.

His brow creased and his eyes registered shock and hurt.

"Of course I care, Elena. You know that." He replied.

His words pierced a hole in her heart. She hadn't heard kind words in weeks. For some reason they had the opposite than desire affect.

"Get out!" She screamed at him.

He stared at her shocked but stood his ground.

She ran at him, hitting her hands against his chest, her nails raking gashes in his arms. He did nothing to stop her as she took out all her pain and anger and hurt on him.

"I hate you. I hate you!" She yelled.

He hid how much those words hurt him and continued to let her vent.

She collapsed to the floor after a few minutes, resting her head on her knees and rocking back and forth. Damon itched to pick her up and hold her, to tell her that everything would be ok but she looked up at him and shook her head.

"Just get out." She whispered.

He looked her dead in the eye.

"Not until you promise me you won't try that again." He said, nodding towards the bathroom.

She smiled coldly through her tears.

"I promise I won't try that again…today."

Every instinct in his body argued with him as he left the room. He could hear her cries of anguish as he walked away and it physically hurt that he couldn't comfort her.

He didn't plan on leaving for long. He needed to go and talk to Stefan, get some idea as to what the hell had gone down around here.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

><p>Elena was so confused, she couldn't understand why, after all these weeks he would show up acting as though he cared. Why he would look at her in that way that she had come to think she had been imagining, where his eyes were so soft and full of concern that it made her feel like the most special girl in the world.<p>

It was ridiculous that she was even thinking about that. He didn't care. She had proof. She fumbled for the box under her bed and pulled it out. She opened the lid and stared at the contents. She picked up the note and the paper fluttered in her shaking fingers.

Stefan and Elena,

I hope you're both well.

Sorry to leave so suddenly, it was a spur of the moment sort of thing. Something came up and I had to take care of it, I'm going to stay on this side of the pond for a while, I had forgotten how much fun Europe can be…

Feel free to clean out my room and put it to good use.

Damon.

She shoved it back into the box and pushed it back under the bed. Grinding her teeth in rage. How dare he, how dare he come here and spout more lies, ruin her plans, save her when she didn't want to be saved.

Who the hell did he think he was? He didn't care, he never had, why would he? She was just the carbon copy of a girl who broke his heart.

She shook away the feeling of safety that she had had when he was here and quickly pulled off her wet clothes. She took a deep breath and closed her heart. Ignoring the pain, pretending it didn't exist.

She grabbed a ridiculously short dress from her closet and pulled it on. She stepped into a pair of heels and glanced at the time. She quickly smeared on some makeup and ran to her car. She needed to forget again. Needed to get rid of whatever ridiculous feelings and notions Damon's reappearance had brought up. She needed people to look at her the way she deserved, superficial desire, indifference, rudeness. Those were things she could deal with. But genuine care… that only led to pain; she couldn't let herself even think about that.

She drove through the dark streets until she reached the club. The bouncer allowed her through and she immediately downed three shots. Glancing around at the people, she noticed the men's appreciative glances and the girl's derisive whispers.

She jumped up and moved to the center of the dance floor, swaying her hips seductively. A couple of the guys joined her, grinding against her body.

* * *

><p>Damon walked into the boarding house and knew instantly that Stefan wasn't there. From what he could tell, he hadn't been for a while. He swallowed his dread and kicked open the door to his brother's room. He was relieved to see that things were missing. At least he had left on his own accord; he didn't want to have to worry about Stefan as well.<p>

What was clear was that he had been away for a lot longer than he had thought.

Deciding that there was nothing more to be learned here, Damon headed back towards Elena's house. He wasn't sure if he would go in or just stay outside, making sure she didn't hurt herself.

The decision was made for him when he saw her running down the porch steps dressed in very un-Elena-like clothes. She got into her car and sped away, he quickly followed.

He frowned when she headed towards the dodgy area of town. He watched silently as she parked and walked into Mystic Falls' only club: a complete dive.

Elena wrapped her arms around a guy's neck and pressed her hips against his. He ran his hands over her body, crudely groping her.

The sight of these disgusting men putting their filthy hands all over Elena filled Damon with rage.

As one guy slipped a hand up her top he was roughly pulled away from her. She gasped in surprise.

Damon gave the guy a shove and grabbed Elena's arm. He led her away from the crowd of people. She pulled away from him.

"What the hell are you doing?" She complained.

He looked at her sharply.

"I am getting you the hell out of this dump."

She backed away from him.

"What's the matter Damon? You disapprove?" She slurred. "You think you can just turn up after all these weeks and order me around? I can do whatever I want."

He watched her sadly, wondering how in the world it had come to this.

"But you don't want this Elena. These guys, they're just using you. Can't you see that?" He said.

"Maybe I want them to use me, have you ever thought of that?" She countered angrily,

He winced at her words.

She moved closer to him, wrapping an arm around his neck and pressing herself against him like she had with the other guy.

A part of her felt wrong doing this with Damon, but she ignored it, focusing on instant gratification, living without acknowledging your emotions was a lot easier.

"You always wanted to fuck me right? Well here you go…take me. I'm all yours, I don't care." She murmured, her face inches from his. "In fact I bet it would be a lot of fun!"

She looked up at him suggestively and pushed one of her legs between his.

He swallowed. She smiled.

"See. You want me…just don't pretend to care about me."

She looked up at him drunkenly.

"Go ahead Damon. Use me. You know you want to."

He stared at her with hurt in his eyes.

"Elena…" He began. "What happened to you?"

The words hit her like a bucket of iced water.

Everything she was hiding from broke the restraints and overwhelmed her. All the pain, self-loathing, confusion and hurt were unbearable. She yanked her body away from his.

"What happened to me?" She whispered. "What happened to me is you left. And then everything went wrong." She began to cry. "Everything went so wrong."

Damon instinctively reached towards her, pulling her into him.

He held her against his chest, stroking her hair and soothing her with kind words.

She inhaled his scent and let herself breathe for the first time in a long time. The smell and familiarity of his embrace was making her heart break all over again. Making her want to scream at him, hit him, hurt him for leaving her. Making her want to wrap her arms around him and never let go. But most of all making her want to run, run before he could hurt her again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Damon ignored the curious stares of the rest of the partygoers and picked Elena up, holding her close against his chest as he walked out of the club.

She was still crying into his shirt, her frail shoulders shaking with heartbreaking sobs. He walked to his car and tried to put her down in the passenger seat but she clung to him, her cries growing more distressed as he tried to move away from her.

Sighing, he scooped her up again and locked the car, setting off for the boarding house at a run with Elena still held securely in his embrace.

He took her into the sitting room and sat down on the couch with her on his lap. He stroked her hair and whispered soothingly until she had stopped crying.

Elena looked around at the boarding house; she hadn't been here since everything had happened. It looked exactly the same as she remembered. It made her heart ache.

"Elena, please tell me what happened." Damon murmured.

She froze, she couldn't understand Damon's angle. He didn't care about her…she knew that. There was no logical reason for him to care. And yet there was the part of her brain, which she was desperately trying to squash, that was saying that apart from him leaving all his actions pointed towards the fact that he _did _care. No. She couldn't let herself go down that road; it would only hurt all the more when he did something that demonstrated his indifference.

She shrugged, trying to look casual.

"Does it matter?" She asked coolly.

Damon looked at her, shocked.

"Of course it matters, I can't help you if I don't know what's been going on." He replied softly, his eyes deep with unguarded emotion.

Elena looked away.

"I don't want or need your help."

"You may not want it, but you do need it." He paused. "How about you start by telling me where Stefan is."

She struggled out of his arms and went to sit on the other side of the sofa. She wrapped her arms defensively around her knees.

Damon watched her quietly, seeing just how emotionally hurt she really was. Her eyes were lost, however hard she tried to ignore her emotions he could see them all in her dark brown orbs. She was deeply wounded.

She took a deep breath. He wanted to know where his brother was. That made sense.

"I don't know." She said honestly. "He and Caroline left…I'm not sure where they were headed."

Damon looked completely baffled. He had not seen that one coming.

"What do you mean he left? With Caroline? What?" He asked, not understanding.

She sighed.

"I asked him to leave. Caroline went with him." She said simply.

Damon was struggling to get his head around this. Elena had asked Stefan to leave…that didn't make any sense in itself. Elena loved Stefan, why would she do that?

She had managed to get her emotions under control and was staring calmly at the floor, waiting for his next question.

"Why did you ask him to leave?" He whispered.

"He did something that I couldn't forgive."

Damon nodded. He could see that whatever it was that his brother had done was the thing that was really tearing her apart.

"What did he do?" He asked softly, watching her reaction carefully.

She swallowed and stood up.

Damon thought she was going to try and leave, he prepared himself to run after her. He wasn't going to let her be alone this evening; the thought of what she might do terrified him.

Instead she looked at him coldly.

"I'll show you."

She wasn't sure why she was doing this. This would only hurt her more. But as the scars on her arms demonstrated, she had developed a sort of desire to be hurt. She felt she deserved it. She knew that it was sick, sadistic, but she didn't really care.

Damon stood up and followed her to the door.

She looked around at the carless driveway.

"I'll carry you." Damon said quietly.

She hesitated for a second before nodding and climbing onto his back.

"Where to?"

"The cemetery."

Damon paused at that; he couldn't see any good coming of going there. Sighing he took off at a run, arriving a few minutes later and letting Elena slide off his back.

She walked forward boldly in the dark. She knew her way around this place like the back of her hand. Damon followed silently, his mind whirring with possibilities of why she would bring him here.

Elena stopped when she reached a group of four graves, clustered together.

Damon looked down and recognized her parents' headstones.

Elena slumped onto the ground next to one of the other graves. She ran her hands along the stone and traced her fingers along the lettering.

Damon's heart froze when he read the words.

_Jeremy Gilbert_

_1994 – 2011 _

_Beloved brother and friend_

Damon felt a wave of sorrow rise up in him; he had grown fond of Jeremy. He was a good kid; he shouldn't have died. It wasn't fair.

He crouched down next Elena, everything suddenly making perfect sense.

He caught sight of Jenna's name on the fourth grave and groaned.

"Oh god." He whispered.

He wanted to reach out to Elena, do something to help her. But he didn't have any words that would take away from this kind of loss.

Instead he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and sat next to her in silence, offering her the only support he could.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

><p>They lost track of how long they sat by the graves of her family. Time was relative in the face of grief. Damon was surprised by his own sadness at Jenna and Jeremy's deaths. They had become a part of his life and he would miss that.<p>

After a while she spoke, her voice almost inaudible.

"Katherine took them. She meant for me to find them…she was just trying to scare me. I don't think she ever really meant them any harm."

She paused and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Stefan…Stefan wouldn't let me look. Katherine had planned it so only I could find them but Stefan said it was too dangerous. He said he would get them and left me with Ric."

Damon could see this scene playing out in his mind. Elena yelling at Stefan, saying that they were the only family she had. Stefan saying that he would protect_ her_ at all costs.

"I told him that if they died…I would never forgive him." She whispered. "He came back alone and…and I told him I never wanted to see him again."

She stopped and Damon hesitated before asking softly.

"And Caroline?"

Elena sighed.

"She chose to go with him. She didn't want to be alone with the whole vampire thing."

Damon nodded.

"And then what happened?" He whispered, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

There was a silence before Elena spoke again.

"Bonnie and I…fell out. And I just…I didn't really have any reason for anything. I still don't."

Damon couldn't believe how much had changed. If he'd only been there he would have talked some sense into Stefan. None of this would have happened, Elena wouldn't be sitting beside him, huddled and heartbroken. She wouldn't have tried to _kill _herself.

Elena pulled away and looked up at him, silvery tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Why did you leave me?" She asked, her voice cracking. "You said you cared."

Damon's heart broke at those simple words. She looked so scared and confused. His face crumpled slightly and he reached for her, tucking her hair behind her ears brushing away her tears.

"What makes you so sure I left because I wanted to?" He whispered.

She looked away from his eyes, she thought she could see actual concern there and she couldn't let herself believe that. It would only hurt her.

"I was sure someone had taken you, I was so worried…but then your letter arrived and…you could've at least said goodbye!" she replied softly, stumbling on the words.

Damon was baffled.

"What letter?"

"Your letter to me and Stefan. You know, 'having fun in Europe.'"

He frowned.

"Elena, I didn't write any letter." He said.

She flicked her gaze to his.

"Yes you did. I have it in my room." She muttered quickly.

Damon softly cupped her face with his hands.

"Elena love, I didn't write a letter, I would never leave you if I had any choice in the matter." He said passionately.

She could see the undeniable sincerity in his eyes and she couldn't hide the emotions that that caused.

"You do care?" She whispered.

He stroked her face.

"Yes sweet girl, more than you can imagine."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

><p>He took her back to her house and removed the evidence of her earlier actions from the bathroom. He then ordered a pizza and sat Elena on the couch, putting on one of her many <em>friends <em>DVDs. He made sure she ate at least two slices and then sat with her until she fell asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her up to her bed. She was so impossibly light, so scarily fragile. He tucked her in and pulled a chair up beside her, he wasn't going to leave her ever again, if possible.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up with a throbbing headache. She sighed and pulled herself out of bed. She had dreamt about Damon, dreamt that he had come back and been kind to her, told her that he <em>cared. <em> She rolled her eyes and headed downstairs, she needed alcohol. She went into the dark kitchen and fumbled blearily with the bottles on the counter. She grabbed her favorite scotch…well _Damon's _favorite scotch, and didn't bother with a glass, swigging from the bottle.

She was lifting the bottle again when it was suddenly grabbed out of her hands. She stared around in confusion, she hadn't bothered to turn on any lights and the mixture of her confusing dream and the alcohol was making her fuzzy.

She heard the bottle being set down and backed away slowly, her heart pounding in her chest.

Suddenly hands cupped her face and a soft voice whispered in her ear.

"Elena sweetheart, let's get you back to bed."

She nearly jumped out of her skin. She would recognize that voice anywhere, it was just like in her dream.

"Damon." She whispered.

"I'm here."

He pulled her up into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder, she inhaled his familiar scent of musk and sandalwood. Despite everything, she never felt safer than when she was in his arms.

"I thought it was a dream." She murmured.

Damon carried her back up to her bedroom.

"It wasn't a dream, kitten...but do you want to tell me why you were drinking scotch at five in the morning?"

He sat down on the bed with her on his lap and she didn't leave his embrace, she burrowed her face against him, wishing she could just melt into him and forget everything.

"I had a headache." She whispered into his chest.

Damon sighed.

"Ever heard of aspirin?"

Elena clutched at him even tighter.

"Scotch works better."

Damon lifted her up and pulled back the covers, he tried to set her down but she clung on to him. He smiled softly and pressed his lips into her hair.

"I will be back in 20 seconds." He assured her.

She reluctantly let go of him and he disappeared. True to his word 20 seconds later he returned with a glass of water and two aspirin. He supported her with his arm and handed her the pills, she popped them into her mouth and he gave her the water. She swallowed the tablets and sagged against him. She tried to stop the tears from escaping; the kindness he was showing her was painful.

"Oh Elena." He murmured.

He kissed her cheeks, capturing her tears with his lips.

"I'm going to get you better. I promise." He assured her quietly.

He moved away to let her sleep but she caught his hand.

"Stay with me?" She pleaded.

He looked into her heartbreaking chocolate eyes and gave her a sad smile.

"Forever." He whispered softly, slipping under the covers and taking her back into his arms. She curled against him and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up alone and her heart sank. Could she really have been dreaming that time too? She was just about to decide that she had gone completely nuts when she spotted Damon's leather jacket draped over a chair. Her face split into an involuntary grin.<p>

She leapt out of bed and bounded downstairs. Damon was standing in the kitchen cooking pancakes. He turned and smiled at her when she walked in, she gave him a quizzical look.

"You cook?" She asked.

His smirk was slightly off due to the worry in his eyes.

"I happen to be a very good cook Gilbert." He retorted. He ran his eyes over her. "Besides I need to get some meat on those bones."

She glared at him.

"Planning on having me for dinner?"

"Mm well you would taste delicious." He teased.

She blushed at the double meaning and smiled at how he could still take her mind off things at the worst of times.

He handed her a plate piled high with blueberry pancakes and maple syrup.

Elena picked at the food, it was delicious but her body was so used to eating so little that she had trouble finishing.

Damon took her plate when she was done.

"Good girl." He murmured.

He stood behind her and brushed his fingers through her hair.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked.

His fingers stilled and he sighed.

"How many times am I going to have to tell you that I care about you?"

She shrugged.

"Until it starts to make sense?"

He pulled her round to face him and lifted her chin with his index finger.

"What part of me caring doesn't make sense?" He asked confused.

Elena sighed and tried to avoid his eyes.

"I mean... that note did hold some truth…there are so many better things you could be doing. You don't have to stay here and look after a screwed up school girl."

Damon brushed his fingers down her cheek.

"There is nothing in the world I would rather be doing than helping you." He replied softly.

"And what is this note you keep going on about?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh major writers' block with this story...I'll try to update faster, I promise :) 3<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Elena pulled Damon's box out from underneath her bed. She looked at him slightly guiltily as she handed him the treasures she had taken from his room. He stared at the ring and the photo of her and raised an eyebrow, looking at her quizzically.

"I wanted to prove that someone had taken you by force." She rushed to explain. "I remembered you mentioning your mothers ring and when I found it, I thought I could convince Stefan that we needed to rescue you. But he didn't believe me, and he wanted to take it away…so I brought it here. You had kept this stuff for ages; I didn't want Stefan to have it."

She didn't mention the photo of her, deciding that that was a conversation for another time.

He glanced at her with something unrecognizable in his eyes before taking the box and setting it on the bed.

"Thank you." He said softly.

She opened the letter with shaking hands, reading the words that had hurt her so badly. She handed it to him and he scanned it, his face darkening with every word.

"I did not write that." He spat. "I would never do that. To him maybe but…not to you."

She frowned.

"Then who did write it?" She asked.

Damon examined the paper.

"Did it arrive in the post?"

She shrugged.

"Stefan showed it to me, it must have arrived at the boarding house." She said.

Damon grit his teeth.

"Stefan." He muttered.

Elena's eyes widened.

"No…he wouldn't." She whispered.

"He would if he thought that it was in your best interests." He replied.

She swallowed back tears as she realized that he was right. She had been desperate to find Damon, going out of her mind with worry. Stefan had been concerned about her; he had thought she was going to get herself hurt over her obsession with saving him. So much for being in her best interest, she thought bitterly.

She turned away from Damon to hide her tears and wiped angrily at her eyes. She felt his hands on her shoulders; he rubbed her arms reassuringly.

"Thank you for wanting to rescue me." He said softly.

She turned to look at him, and she could see the gratitude in his eyes. It wasn't often that he felt _wanted._ Before she knew what she was doing she had thrown her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I'll always want to rescue you. Don't you know that by now?"

He chuckled, she did seem to have a habit for saving his life.

Elena thought of something and suddenly pulled away.

"So what did happen to you?" She asked, a hint of fear in her eyes.

He sighed.

"That's a story for another time. For now, we are going to concentrate on getting you back to good old sensible Elena." He said with a smile.

She rolled her eyes.

"And how do you propose we do that?" She asked.

He got up and held his hand out for her.

"Well for one, no more early morning scotch chugging." He said teasingly.

She took his hand and leant into his side as he led her from the room.

"And no more hanging out in that disgusting bar." His voice hardened a little and she looked up at him.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked in a small voice.

His face softened instantly.

"No, of course I'm not angry with you. How could I be?"

It was only then that she realized he was leading her towards the front door. She stopped suddenly and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To the grill." He replied, grabbing her coat from the back of the door.

She bit her lip nervously.

"Damon…I haven't been there since…"

He wrapped the coat around her shoulders and she reluctantly pushed her arms through.

"All the more reason to go." He said as he buttoned it up.

She still hesitated, eyeing the door.

She hadn't seen anybody from her old life in a long time. She knew that the grill would be swarming with people she used to know. Sherriff Forbes, Matt, Tyler…they all knew what she had been up to. Rumors spread like wildfire in mystic falls. The fact that good girl Elena Gilbert was partying it up with the town's worst, hadn't gone unnoticed.

Damon seemed to understand her concern and took her hand, smiling reassuringly.

"You're going to have to face the world someday Elena. The more you put it off the harder it will get."

She swallowed hard, but nodded, taking a deep breath and following him out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>I know i suck! I am so sorry I have taken so long and this is such a pathetic update :( Forgive me? Let's just say that this chapter is the calm before the storm...<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

><p>Elena kept her head down as they walked into the Grill. She could feel people's eyes on her and she felt herself blush in humiliation. Damon gripped her arm supportively and lead her forwards, he kept his head high and stared back at anyone who looked for too long. With his vampire hearing he could pick up the whispers that were circulating.<p>

"I heard she was a drug addict now."

"Really? No…Elena Gilbert?"

"Yes, apparently she was never the same after Jeremy's death."

"Well I heard she started started selling sex for money."

"Oh gross!"

"Damon Salvatore's as hot as ever."

"Of course he _would _go running to Elena as soon as he got back to town."

"Oh please, as soon as he hears what she's been up to he'll be out the door faster than you can say alcoholic."

"I don't know…look at how protective he's being of her. It looks like he really cares."

"Damon Salvatore cares about one thing and one thing only. Sex."

"Well he better be ready to pay up then!"

"Oh she wouldn't make him pay, look at how she's clinging to him. She'll give it to him for free!"

"Look at how thin she is!"

"I know; she looks like she could just collapse!"

"Maybe she's been drinking."

"What happened to the other Salvatore?"

"No one knows, apparently he just disappeared!"

"Probably decided Elena's pretty face just wasn't worth the trouble."

Damon clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to turn the Grill into a scene of carnage. He stroked Elena's arm and thanked god she didn't have super hearing.

"Would you guys shut up? You don't what you're talking about."

He smiled slightly when he recognized Matt's hushed voice. At least some people were still on her side.

They sat down at a booth towards the back and after a while people grew tired of watching them and turned back to their earlier conversations. Elena visibly relaxed when she felt the attention shift off her.

Matt took their order and smiled at Elena, telling her he was thrilled to see her and not to be a stranger. Elena felt her heart lift a little as she sat there; maybe there was hope after all…maybe she wasn't a lost cause, maybe there would be something ahead worth fighting for.

* * *

><p>Damon picked the pickles off Elena's plate and watched her as she laughed at something he had said. For the first time since he'd arrived home, Damon could see a flicker of the old Elena come out. He could see the part of her that was still innocent and in love with life.<p>

Elena rolled her eyes as he took another pickle.

"If you get my pickles then I get your lettuce." She said, grabbing an iceberg leaf from his plate.

"I will never understand how you can eat that stuff. It is completely tasteless." Damon said, eyeing the vegetable with distaste.

"And I will never understand how you can eat pickles." She responded with a smile.

They talked about meaningless things, keeping their easy banter light, both of them consciously staying away from all the painful subjects that awaited them.

* * *

><p>Later they walked out arm in arm, the stares no longer bothering Elena so much.<p>

As they walked out of the door a girl who was the year below Elena in school coughed and audibly said;

"Fuck up."

Her boyfriend snorted and pushed forward, knocking Elena slightly as he made to enter the restaurant.

Damon reacted on instinct, grabbing the lapels of the kids' jacket and roughly pulling him back.

"Apologize. Now." He spat.

Elena touched his arm.

"Damon, it's ok." She murmured.

He ignored her, staring the boy down until he swallowed and mumbled a halfhearted apology.

"And your girlfriend." Damon said, his grip tightening.

The boy looked at the girl slightly desperately and she rolled her eyes.

"Sorry." She said, flicking her eyes sideways and raising an eyebrow, her face slipping into a queen bitch look that she had obviously learned from watching too much Gossip Girl.

Damon nodded and let them go, a clear threat in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, taking Elena's arm again.

She shook her head, and let him lead her to the car.

"It's fine. I expected it."

* * *

><p>They went back to the boarding house, the mood light again, despite the run in at the Grill. Damon put on a movie and they lay on the couch, Elena's head somehow ending up in Damon's lap.<p>

He was stroking her hair, his fingers trailing through her soft tresses, when his eyes caught sight of something on her arm.

A sleeve of her top had ridden up to reveal scars. Lots of scars.

The movement of his hands in her hair stilled and he sat frozen for a second. Elena hadn't noticed what had caught his attention, her eyes still fixed on the screen.

He quietly reached for her arm, pulling her sleeve back completely to reveal the numerous scars that decorated her skin. She started and looked around at him, her heart stopping when she saw his eyes fixed on her bare arm.

She tried to yank out of his grip but he didn't let go, his fingers closing around her wrist in an iron grip.

Damon felt just a little bit more of him break as he stared at the damaged skin. How could it have gotten this far? How could he have _let _it get this far? How could his beautiful, sweet, Elena have been driven to this? This was never supposed to happen, none of it. She was supposed to live a full life, be happy, loved. She deserved so much more than what the universe had served her.

"Damon let go of me."

Her angry voice snapped him out of his thoughts but he didn't let go.

"Elena, what are these?" He asked; his voice controlled.

He knew the answer but he wanted to hear her say it.

"They're nothing. Let me go." She spat.

"They are _not _nothing!" He replied quickly.

She froze at the anger in his words and her eyes dropped to the floor.

"Let me go." She repeated.

"Not until you explain."

She tried to free herself again, to no avail.

"No!" She yelled.

"Elena, I can't help you if you don't talk to me." His voice rose.

She felt the walls around her heart closing in again and she didn't fight it.

"Oh please. You don't want to help me. You just want old Elena back you only liked me when I was innocent and _pure_!" She spat the words harshly and his fingers loosened in surprise.

She yanked her hand away from him.

"You know that's not true."

"Whatever Damon. Save it for someone who cares."

She turned and ran out of the house, tears blurring her vision as she stumbled down the drive.

* * *

><p><strong>Told ya there was a storm brewing... ;)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

><p>Damon flinched when he heard the front door slam. He grabbed his drink from the coffee table and was surprised when he felt something stab his skin. He let the broken glass fall to the floor.<p>

He knew he should run after her, smooth things over, continue to try to convince her that he _cared._ But he was angry, he was furious. How dare she destroy herself? How dare she hurt herself? It was killing him. Seeing her like this was physically painful.

He ran to the basement and grabbed a blood bag, downing it quickly before hurling the empty packet at the wall.

* * *

><p>Elena ran down the dark road, cursing herself for letting Damon drive her.<p>

She should have known it wasn't real, how could she have let herself believe that Damon really cared? How could she have let herself be that stupid? He wanted the sweet vanilla Elena that was a complete antidote to Katherine. He didn't want _her, _this broken, pathetic teenage dropout. Why would he?

Her hear stuttered when she heard a car coming down the road behind her, the headlamps flooded her with light and she shrank into the side of the road, trying to make herself smaller than she already was.

"Elena?"

"Ric?"

The car pulled over beside her and the passenger door was flung open.

"Get in." Ric said firmly.

She hesitated, looking around. Deciding she really had no other options she climbed into the warm car and gave Ric a weak smile.

"What were you doing out here alone? It's dangerous at night Elena." He said, his eyes not leaving the road, as they drove away.

"I know." She replied softly, leaning her head against the window.

He glanced at her, opened his mouth to say something but didn't comment.

The short drive was awkward and filled with things left unsaid. Elena was relieved when they pulled up outside her house. Ric spared her a slightly wistful glance as she clambered out, but drove off without a word.

* * *

><p>Damon groaned in frustration when Elena's phone went to voice mail again. He shouldn't have let her go. He should have run straight after her and gotten her back into the house. He cursed loudly, sending a char flying across the room on his way to the door.<p>

He grabbed his jacket and walked to his car. She couldn't have gone far, she was on foot; he would catch up with her easily. It made sense that she would head for her house, so Damon began to drive slowly down the road, scanning the sides for any sign of her.

* * *

><p>Elena ran upstairs, tears were pricking at her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She stripped out of her jeans and sweater and raided her closet, throwing clothes all over the place until she found a suitably slutty skirt. She paired it with a strap top and scooped her hair into a ponytail. She quickly wiped at her face and reapplied her mascara before grabbing her purse and slipping on her heels.<p>

She knew a place where people didn't want vanilla Elena. They wanted the girl she really was; cruel, cold and worthless. She almost laughed at that. She was _worse_ than Katherine.

She drove fast to her haunt in town, not even bothering to look at the bouncer as he waved her through.

She felt sick to the stomach as she looked around the grotty club. She swallowed and made her way to the bar, this is what she deserved. She whispered as a mantra to herself as she order a double scotch, neat.

* * *

><p>Damon cursed when her house drew into sight. Her car was missing. She must have gotten a ride with someone, there was no way she could have walked that fast.<p>

He tried her cell again and resisted the urge to crush his phone in his hand when it went straight to voicemail.

"Damn it Elena!" He yelled.

He tried to think about where she might go. She was upset and angry, she would want somewhere to escape from her feelings, to pretend she was fine.

Damon's dace hardened and he slammed his foot onto the accelerator.

* * *

><p>"Wanna go somewhere quieter?"<p>

The guy was brutish looking, in his late twenties, handsome enough in a skinhead sort of way.

She considered a moment before nodding and grabbing his offered hand. Maybe this would be just what she needed to get her mind off Damon, off _feelings._

The guy tugged her out back, into the alley behind the club. He pressed her roughly against the wall, his breath hot on her face as he leaned closer. He began to roughly manhandle her, shoving a hand under her top to knead her breasts. She struggled briefly, not liking how out of control she felt.

"Stop." She muttered. "I changed my mind, stop!"

He chuckled in her ear.

"I don't think so sweetheart." He murmured.

He yanked her skirt up around her waist and she writhed against him, unsuccessfully trying to kick him.

"Stop it. Let go of me!' She cried.

* * *

><p>Damon scanned the crowded room, searching for her familiar face. He caught sight of a petite brunette on the other side of the room but when she turned around she had blue eyes and a fake tan. He groaned in frustration, trying to sense Elena anywhere.<p>

"_Stop it. Let go of me!" _

He froze for a brief second before racing towards the sound of her scared voice. His blood was boiling with a mixture of anger and fear. He burst into the alley and quickly took in the sight of Elena pinned helplessly against a wall, an over tattooed and over muscled man leaning menacingly against her.

He growled low in his chest and yanked the guy back by his collar. Elena gasped at the sudden movement and fell in an ungainly heap to the floor.

Damon hurled the miserable being against the far wall and smiled in satisfaction when he heard something snap.

He walked until he was standing over him.

"You do _not _touch Elena and get away with it, you filthy perv." He spat, bring his boot down hard on his hand.

The man cried out in pain and Elena flinched. She hauled herself off the ground and approached Damon cautiously.

"Just leave him." She muttered. "It's not worth it."

Damon wanted to kill this disgusting waste of space, he wanted to rip him limb from limb for hurting Elena. But he glanced at the human girl, shivering in ridiculously inappropriate clothes and sighed. He was completely incapable of saying no to her.

"Fine." He snapped, kicking the guy hard in the ribs for good measure.

He walked towards Elena but she backed away.

"Just go. I can get myself home." She said stiffly.

Damon felt his anger boiling over.

"Damn it Elena! What are you doing?" He yelled, causing her to flinch.

She set her jaw and glared at him.

"Go _away_ Damon!" She shouted, turning to walk back to her car.

He followed her, catching her arm and swinging her around to look at him.

"I want to help you. How many times do I have to say that? I am not going to sit around and watch you destroy yourself!"

"What I do is nothing to do with you." She spat, unable to meet his gaze.

His grip on her arm tightened.

"Yes it is Elena. Seeing you like this _hurts_ me. When I found you that night in your bathroom…I couldn't breathe…the thought of…"

She looked up at him, her walls softening for a second.

She felt herself grow weaker and instantly shut it down. She could not let herself feel. None of it was worth it.

"What's your angle Damon? Why not let me in on your diabolical plan?"

He groaned in frustration and let go of her. She began to hurry away, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"They loved you, you know." He said suddenly.

She stopped.

"Jeremy, Jenna, your parents. They loved you so much. How do you think they would feel if they could see you now? It would hurt them too. They would want you to get better, to try to _live _again."

Elena turned slowly, the ache in her chest almost unbearable.

"Love doesn't exist Damon. It isn't real." She said firmly.

Damon's face twisted with the pain of those words. He moved towards her and cupped her face with his hands, looking into her eyes.

"Yes it does." He said passionately.

She tried to look away from his gaze but he held her in place.

"It does exist Elena." His voice was soft.

She felt tears trickle down her cheeks, Damon wiped them away and she looked up at him with eyes full of confusion and vulnerability.

"How would you know?" She asked, her voice quivering.

He looked at her steadily.

"Because I feel it."

"Who for?" She asked skeptically.

He gazed at her and wrinkled his brow slightly, in that way he always did when he was being completely sincere.

"For you."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it was such a long wait :( Hope the chapter was worth it!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

><p>Elena stared at him in shock. She opened and closed her mouth several times before finally finding her elusive voice.<p>

"What?" she whispered.

Damon looked her in the eye, the intensity on his face assuring her that he was serious.

"I love you Elena." He said softly.

He stroked her hair and cupped her face, she blinked, trying to process what he was saying.

"I love you." He repeated. "And I believe in you."

As his words sunk in Elena felt her face crumple; tears trickled down her cheeks and her chest burned.

He pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her. She rested her head against his chest and gave in to the wracking sobs that were shaking her small body.

"Don't give up on yourself Elena."

The kind words sounded unnatural to her ears. It didn't make sense, she didn't deserve for someone to say things like this to her. She wasn't worth it.

She knew she should just walk away, but she couldn't. The way Damon was holding her made her feel _safe. _ It was that feeling she remembered from before all of this happened. When she had crashed her car, the minute she had seen Damon she had known, instinctually, that she was safe. Whenever he had been around he had made her feel secure and cared for. _Protected. _It was a feeling that she had begun to think she had imagined.

Her chest ached at the blissful familiarity and for a few minutes she let herself forget. Forget everything that had happened, forget everything that she was. She let herself just be a girl finding peace in a boy's embrace.

She imagined that she was still the old Elena; the innocent girl who believed in redemption and love. She forgot for a while who she had become.

But it couldn't last forever.

As her tears slowed her brain took over again, and fresh tears threatened to fall as she reminded herself why she didn't deserve this. Didn't deserve him.

Almost as though he could feel her change in thoughts, Damon pulled back to look at her.

"It's going to be ok." He murmured, looking at her with what could only be described as adoration.

"I don't understand." Elena said hoarsely, unable to prevent the crack in her voice.

She stepped back into his arms, needing to be close to him, knowing that after what she was about to say she might never get that feeling again.

"Damon I don't understand." She whispered again, fighting the tears with all her strength. "I'm bad…I'm…I…don't understand…why you'd love someone like me."

She felt something wet hit her cheek and realized with a shock that it wasn't one of her own tears.

"Because you are the most amazing girl I have ever met." Damon whispered. "You're strong and kind, you're fiery and beautiful and there's no one in the world like you. I love you because you're Elena. You're my humanity, the only person who ever gave me a second chance. You're the most important thing in my world. And that will never change."

Elena was crying freely now. His beautiful words making her feel things she didn't think she was capable of any longer.

They stood like that, in the dark alley, two broken hearts beginning to mend.

After a while Damon picked Elena up bridal style, she rested her head against his neck and he told her to close her eyes. She did as he instructed and when she opened them they were at the boarding house. He carried her upstairs and into his room, placing her in the middle of his large bed. He took off her impractical shoes and pulled a comforter up around her.

"Sleep, my angel." He whispered.

Her eyes were swollen from crying and she was struggling to stay awake, but she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt as he began to walk away.

"Please." She whispered.

He understood what she was saying and kicked off his boots before slipping into the bed beside her.

She curled into him and he held her, resting his chin on her head and murmuring soothing words until her breathing evened out in sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it's so short~ I just felt like we needed something sweet and simple at this point!<strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

><p>Elena awoke slowly the next morning, reaching out for Damon. Her eyes snapped open when her fingers met nothing but cold sheets. She looked around his room in confusion. It was late; the sun was already high in the sky. It was the first time she had slept deeply and dreamlessly, without the help of alcohol, for a long time.<p>

She slipped out of the bed and tried to swallow her panic at finding herself alone. She knew she hadn't been dreaming, she really needed to stop being so neurotic.

She took off her dirty, uncomfortable clothes from last night, pulled on one of Damon's shirts and tiptoed out of the room. The floor was cold against her toes and her heart began to beat loudly in her chest for no apparent reason. She scowled at her own insecurities; she didn't like being this pathetic.

She clutched the banister and trod carefully as she slipped down the stairs. She could hear noises coming from the kitchen, and wrapping her arms around her torso, she made her way towards the sounds of activity.

Damon glanced up when she walked into the room. Her face lit up in a breathtaking grin at the sight of him and he smiled.

He ignored the feelings that seeing her in his shirt, her hair rumpled from sleep, evoked in him.

"Morning sleepyhead." He said.

She pulled herself up onto the counter and sat, swinging her legs, watching him.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Nearly eleven." He chuckled.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, I haven't slept like that in like…forever."

He was doing something by the stove and delicious smells began to fill the room.

"What are you making?" She asked, peering curiously around him, trying to catch a glimpse.

"Chocolate chip pancakes." '

Damon was making pancakes? There was something so domestic and sweet about the gesture, it seemed so unlike the badass vampire she had come to know. She grinned.

"I didn't know vampires liked pancakes." She teased.

A second later he was standing in front of her with a plate piled high with a delicious looking stack. He set it on the counter next to her and handed her a knife and fork.

"Enjoy." He smirked, the affect of standing so close to each other not lost on either of them.

"Thank you." She murmured, smiling up at him.

He nodded and sat on the counter opposite her, watching as she shoved the pancakes in her mouth. He was worried about how little she had been eating. She had felt too light in his arms last night. Compared to the healthy girl he had left behind she was a skeleton.

When she was done he took her plate and washed it. She watched him again, curious about this homey side of Damon.

He moved towards her and placed his hands on her knees, meeting her gaze. She struggled not to get lost in his eyes.

"We are going out today and we are going to have fun." He said firmly.

She glanced nervously towards the door, secretly wishing they could just stay inside the safe confines of the house.

"It will be fun, I promise." He said, catching onto her thoughts.

She smiled.

"Ok." She agreed.

He raked his eyes across her scantily clad figure and smirked.

"And not that I don't appreciate this attire but I think you might be more comfortable in something slightly more conservative."

She looked down at her bare legs and blushed slightly.

"I think I still have some clothes in Stefan's room." She murmured.

He nodded.

"Good. Go get ready, we'll go when you're done."

She slipped off the counter, causing them to again end up completely invading each other's personal space. She knew he could hear the way her heart skipped a beat at his proximity and her blush grew darker.

She shifted awkwardly and glanced up at him.

"Thank you." She said quietly. She wasn't just thanking him for breakfast or the promise of a fun day. She was thanking him for everything. For being him. For being there.

He understood. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded before turning back to the sink.

* * *

><p>Elena looked out of the window as the car drew to a stop.<p>

"A fair?" She exclaimed, childish delight filling her words.

Damon grinned at her reaction and parked the car.

"Yep." He said, climbing out and blurring around to the passenger side.

She jumped in surprise as he opened her door.

She clambered out quickly and glanced around nervously.

"Damon! You shouldn't move that fast in public, someone could have seen you." She hissed.

He rolled his eyes and took her hand in his, dragging her towards the bustling field. She liked the feeling of his warm, strong hand enveloping hers and skipped along beside him, feeling genuinely happy.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked.

She gazed around, like a child in a toy store.

"Cotton candy." She announced, setting off towards a brightly colored stall where a clown was handing children enormous sticks of bright pink sugar.

He laughed and let her pull him along, her hand still securely held in his.

* * *

><p>Four hours later, they had been on every ride in the park, including the haunted house which Damon had found ironic. Especially when Elena had jumped into a vampire's arms for protection against an actor dressed up like a ghost.<p>

The car was full of oversized stuffed animals, Damon having insisted on using his heightened skills as a means to win each and every game on offer.

Feeling tired and happy Elena lent into Damon's side as they walked through the park, heading back to the car. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

She beamed up at him.

"Best day ever." She said with conviction.

He smiled.

"That was the plan."

They drove back towards home quietly, Elena found herself struggling to keep her eyes open and after a while drifted to sleep, resting her head against the window.

Damon smiled at the contented expression on her face. She was still Elena, she was exactly the same as she had always been. He just needed to help her rediscover it. He was relieved that she hadn't buried herself so deep that her protective shell was impenetrable, that would have made his job a lot harder.

They pulled up in the boarding house drive and Damon moved to her side, quietly scooping her up into his arms. Her eyes fluttered and she leant her head against his chest but didn't wake.

He carried her to the door and held her with one arm as he opened it. He flicked on the sitting room light, and turned to take her up to bed. A movement caught his peripherals and he whirled around with a growl, clutching Elena closer to him as he searched for a threat.

Something moved in the shadows and Damon fought the urge to vamp out. He wasn't in a good position, with Elena in his arms he was incapable of fighting, but if he put her down he could be putting her in more danger. He was weighing up his options when the figure stepped out of the darkness.

"Stefan?"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this has taken so long.. I was sort of still deciding which way to go with this story! x<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Stefan?"

He moved out of the shadows, his eyes falling to the sleeping Elena in Damon's arms.

Damon's jaw flexed as he stared at his little brother. The image of how he had found Elena flashed through his mind and he controlled the urge to throw her onto the sofa and rip Stefan's throat out.

"You're back." Stefan stated, shifting his weight awkwardly.

Damon rolled his eyes.

"Obviously." He said coldly.

Elena stirred and murmured something unintelligible. Damon sighed.

"Stay here." He said to Stefan, his voice firm and nonnegotiable.

Stefan nodded briefly and watched as Damon carried Elena up the stairs.

He took her into his room and put her into his bed, pulling the covers up around her chin. She sleepily grabbed his arms as he turned to leave. He softly kissed her fingers and placed her hand back on the bed.

"Sleep sweetheart." He whispered.

She drifted off and he quietly left the room.

He stalked back into the sitting room to find Stefan standing in the exact position he had left him in. He poured himself a glass of scotch and downed it in one.

"Why are you here?" He asked stiffly.

"I wanted to talk to Elena. She wasn't at her house so…"

Damon grit his teeth, forcing himself not to lose control.

"How can you come in here acting like nothing happened?" He ground out.

Stefan looked confused.

"What?"

"How can you talk to me knowing that you forged a letter in my name, a letter that not only could have gotten me killed, but hurt Elena?" His voice rose and his gaze flicked to the ceiling, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl upstairs.

Stefan looked away.

"You know about that." He muttered.

The tumbler in Damon's hand shattered and shards of glass fell to the floor.

"I wasn't in Europe Stefan. I was fucking kidnapped by some psycho Salvatore hater."

Stefan flinched and actually had the decency to look guilty.

"I'm sorry. I am, but Elena was going out of her mind…She was planning to go looking for you. She could have gotten hurt Damon." Stefan said quietly.

While his fury at his brother for his treatment of Elena was still ever present. Damon had to agree that her setting off on a rescue mission would have been dangerous.

He sighed and brushed the glass that was still stuck in his hand onto the carpet.

"Whatever, I'm not even that bothered about the stupid letter. Do you have any idea what I found when I got back here?" He spat, trying to push the image of Elena's lifeless body from his mind.

Stefan frowned.

"What happened with Jenna and Jeremy was…unfortunate but…"

"There are no 'buts' Stefan." Damon yelled. "Her family died, her boyfriend took off with her best friend!"

Stefan's eyes flashed.

"She asked me to leave." He countered.

Damon rolled his eyes.

"I wonder why? Oh yeah, you got her family killed."

Stefan flew at him, knocking him into the wall. The house shook at the impact and Damon grabbed his brother's neck, quickly gaining the upper hand. He whirled them around and pinned Stefan down.

"It was an accident. I was trying to save them." He roared, struggling against his grip.

Damon's fist made contact with his face with a sickening crunch. Stefan cried out in pain as his nose broke.

"You don't get to defend yourself Stefan. There is nothing you can say that will change anything."

Stefan finally managed to throw Damon off him, sending him sailing across the room to smash into a bookcase. Damon was taken off guard by his strength. He groaned as a large shard of wood skewered his abdomen. It was clear that his brother was no longer on the animal stuff.

He pulled it out and grit his teeth as blood began to soak into his shirt.

Fighting the pain he blurred towards Stefan, stopping an inch from his face.

"You need to leave." He said, his voice low and dangerous.

Stefan met his gaze.

"I won't let you steal her from me." He said coldly.

His fist met his face again, re-breaking the nose that had only just begun to heal. Damon winced at the action, the wound was taking its toll on him; he was having trouble staying upright.

"Damon?"

Soft footsteps padded down the stairs, pausing as the tired girl took in the destruction in the room.

"Oh my god." She whispered, her eyes falling on the two brothers.

She flinched when she looked at Stefan. The only thought that crossed her mind at the sight of him was that night; she had put her faith in him and he had let her down in the worst way possible.

"Elena…" Stefan turned and walked towards her, his hand outstretched as though approaching a skittish animal.

She backed away.

"What are you doing here?" She asked coldly, looking anywhere but his face.

"I thought maybe we could talk…"

Her eyes shifted passed him, to Damon, widening when she saw the blood seeping through his clothes. He was swaying on his feet.

"Oh god."

She dashed passed Stefan, her eyes full of tears as she ran to his brother. She yanked his shirt up and pressed her hands over the gaping wound, trying to stop any more blood from escaping.

"Why isn't it healing?" She choked, pushing him onto the sofa and watching in horror as his eyes fluttered with pain.

The thought of losing Damon for good was not even worth thinking about. It was unbearable.

Stefan watched the scene, unmoving.

"Splinters." Damon murmured.

Realization hit Elena and she ran out of the room, pausing only to glare at Stefan. She felt a swell of satisfaction as she noticed that his nose was broken.

"Touch him and I will kill you." She said darkly, not waiting for his reply.

She ran into his bathroom and fumbled through the cupboards knocking items to the ground as she searched with shaking hands. She raced back downstairs with tweezers held firmly in her fist. He couldn't heal while there was still wood in the wound.

She was relieved to see that Stefan hadn't moved while she was out of the room. She didn't spare him a glance as she knelt beside Damon.

She pushed his shirt out of the way and got to work, Damon forced himself not to cry out as she pulled a two-inch fragment out of his stomach.

Five minutes later there was a small pile of splinters on the floor next to them. Elena was relieved to see his skin begin to knit itself back together. She left the room again and ran down to the basement, returning with a blood bag.

She held it to Damon's lips and smiled when he took it and drank deeply, the color returning to his cheeks. When he was done, he chucked it on the table and sat up, looking completely back to normal. Elena felt such an acute sense of relief at that moment that she unthinkingly threw her arms around his neck. He returned the embrace and stroked her hair soothingly.

"I'm fine Lena. You did good, thank you." He murmured.

The moment was interrupted by Stefan; who was still standing watching them, his hands fisted at his sides.

"Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?" He said angrily.

Elena leapt off the sofa and whirled around to look at him.

"I thought I said I never wanted to see you again." She spat.

Stefan flinched.

"I just thought that maybe, after all this time…"

"That I would have changed my mind?" She managed to meet his eyes, and glared at him in fury.

She walked towards him, stopping a few feet away.

"Did you or did you not write that letter from Damon?" She asked coldly.

He looked down.

"Yes, I did but Elena…" His voice was pleading.

"There are no 'buts' Stefan." She shouted, unknowingly echoing Damon's words from earlier. "How dare you?"

She stepped closer, her eyes blazing.

"You realize you have taken everyone from me? My aunt, my brother, my best friend… then you have the audacity to come here and try to take Damon as well."

Stefan's face, hardened at her words.

"I didn't know my brother was so important to you." He said coldly.

Elena slapped him. She put all her strength behind it and was satisfied when his head whipped to the side.

"Get out."

Veins appeared around his eyes as he brought his hand to his cheek.

"You can't kick me out of my own house Elena." He said threateningly.

Damon was in front of her in a second.

"Actually it is my house. And you are no longer welcome here." He said, making it clear that he would not be caught off guard again.

Stefan seemed to consider his options before reluctantly turning and storming out.

The door slammed and Elena sank to the floor.

Damon rubbed his face and was about to pour himself more scotch when a potent smell hit him. He immediately crouched beside the tired exhausted sitting on the floor.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, running his eyes over her body looking for an injury.

"Huh?" She asked, still dazed from the confrontation.

"You're bleeding Elena."

She looked up at him.

"Oh…I think I stood on some glass." She murmured distantly.

Damon had her in his arms, on his bed in a second. She smiled as he pulled a shard of glass out of her foot.

"Those poor tweezers are really getting a workout tonight!"

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><p><strong>As a reward for all your lovely reviews, here is a very fast update ;) Seriously though, you guys inspire me to keep writing with all your comments! :) Enjoy xo<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

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><p>"How dare he?" Elena spat.<p>

She paced around Damon's room unable to sleep, too full of emotion to let herself relax.

"Where does he get off coming back here after all this time, thinking everything can just go back to normal?"

Damon sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard, letting her rant.

"And the thing is, I might have been able to forgive him for what happened. I would never trust him again but I might have been able to come to a point where I accepted that they didn't die because of him…but now…"

She broke off and ran a hand through her hair.

"I will never forgive him for writing that letter. He just lies to me, he always lies… It was all lies." Her voice cracked.

Damon got off the bed and walked over to her, lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes.

"It wasn't all lies, Elena. He loves you, that's not a lie." It hurt him to say those words, but they were true. And it hurt him even more to see her so distraught.

She stared up at him, smudged mascara making her eyes look enormous.

"It doesn't matter. He hurt you, I hate him for that." She whispered.

He was slightly thrown by the complete sincerity in her dark orbs, the overwhelming _trust. _

Elena suddenly became very aware of his hands on her face, the proximity of his body, and the intensity of his gaze. Her heart rate picked up and she found herself wishing he would put his hands somewhere else.

Damon seemed to sense the change in her mood and surprise flashed across his face.

Elena's eyes flicked to his lips and she realized that she was unconsciously leaning in towards him, he seemed to be frozen in shock. She knew she should back away now, clear her throat and disperse the tension. But she didn't want to. She wanted him to kiss her, to hold her, touch her, make her forget about everything but them. She tried to feel guilty for having those thoughts but she couldn't summon any remorse.

Acting on instinct, she reached up and traced the lines of his face, his hands slipped from hers, falling to her waist. She stood on her tip-toes and before she could think twice, leaned forward and pressed her lips softly to his. He didn't move for a second, before he automatically responded, drawing her closer and kissing her with a passion that made her stomach flip.

He held her flush against his body. She was burning, her whole body felt like it was on fire, the kiss was the perfect mixture of gentle and lustful. She felt her insides melt, all thoughts disappeared from her mind, it was just him. The feel of him against her, his lips moving against hers. There was nothing else.

Suddenly he roughly pulled away, she stumbled slightly and blinked in surprise at the sudden movement. He stepped back and she immediately missed the contact. She was breathing heavily, her heart pounding in her chest.

Damon looked at her, his eyes betraying his confusion, the mix of lust and pain. She watched him, surprised by his reaction. Isn't this what he wanted? Didn't that feel as magical to him as it had for her?

"You're tired and upset…You're not thinking straight." He muttered, turning away from her.

She frowned, reaching out to grab his arm. He had it all wrong.

"Damon…"

"You should get some sleep." He cut her off before she could speak and suddenly she was standing alone in his room.

She felt tears sting her eyes and she blinked them back, taking a deep shaky breath. She crawled into his bed and switched off the light, pulling the covers up around her chin.

Tears fell down her cheeks and she didn't stop them.

* * *

><p>Damon left the boarding house as though the devil were on his back. Her kiss was burning on his lips and her very presence was intoxicating him. He ran at vampire speed to the grill, letting the cold night air clear his head.<p>

He needed a drink, or two or three. He couldn't remember the last time something as insignificant as a kiss had made him feel like the whole world had come to a standstill. Actually he could remember; never. He had never felt so complete, so _loved _as he did in that moment. But it wasn't real, she was confused and she was going to regret it tomorrow, she would apologize and say that it didn't mean anything.

It killed him that this human girl had the power to break his heart with a few words. But she did, and she would. And he would live with it, he would mask his hurt and pretend that it didn't matter. He would be there for her, help her when she needed it, protect her when her life was at risk, and make her smile when she was sad. He would be the eternal friend and that was fine. He would cherish the position, but he would always want more, he would always want to just grab her and make her his.

The feel of her pliant body against him, her soft, strawberry flavored lips caressing his… He shook himself out of _that_ train of thought and sat at the bar, ordering his usual scotch.

"Damon?"

He turned to see Ric mirroring his position, slumped against the counter, alcohol in hand.

"Ric, long time no see." He said dryly, gesturing for the bartender to get him a refill.

"I'll say! I thought you took off." There was a slight accusatory undertone in his voice.

"Nope. Turns out baby bro has a knack for forgery." He sighed.

The teacher raised his eyebrows.

"Stefan wrote that letter?"

Damon nodded and downed his drink in one.

"So what actually happened?"

"It's a long and unpleasant story."

Ric grabbed his drink and moved to sit next to him.

"I got time."

Damon glanced at him.

"I have a bone to pick with you." He said with a scowl.

Ric suddenly seemed fascinated by his glass.

"Oh?"

"Elena. You could have kept an eye on her." He glared.

Ric grimaced slightly.

"I know. I did at first, but there wasn't really any getting through to her. She sort of cut herself off."

Damon rolled his eyes.

"Still, you just ditched her, she had no one left. Dick move, man."

"I know, its been eating away at me actually. I didn't really know how to help her." He sighed.

There was a pause.

"You've seen her since you've been back I assume?"

Damon nodded.

"How's she doing?"

"She was in pretty bad shape when I found her." He murmured.

Ric swirled the contents of his glass.

"And now?"

Damon shrugged.

"I'm working on it."

Ric sensed that he didn't want to talk about it anymore and nodded, gesturing for a refill.

"So what's the story?" He asked.

Damon rubbed his forehead.

"Apparently I've managed to make quite a few enemies over the years." He muttered.

Ric chuckled.

"You don't say."

Damon smirked, surprised at how easily they slipped back into their usual banter. He would never admit it, but he enjoyed Ric's company. They had developed a sort of tentative friendship. It was a relief to see that it was still there.

* * *

><p><strong>Well this was sort of a random chapter... I know Damon might be a little OOC with the kiss, but I just think that at this point he would pull away if he thought he was just going to be the rebound.. I don't know. Tell me what you think! :) <strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

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><p>Elena sat on the edge of the bath, staring at the razor in her hands. She wasn't even sure how long she had been sitting there, or why she had gone into Damon's bathroom in the first place.<p>

She ran her thumb along the sharp edge and watched intently as a small drop of blood trickled down her hand. The dark liquid mesmerized her as it tracked its way across her palm.

Damon had been out all night, the house was empty, it would be so easy to just sink the sharp blade into her soft skin. She could relax into that numbing pain and escape her emotions.

She pricked her finger again and another scarlet drop joined the first.

She couldn't get that kiss out of her head; she had never been kissed like that… or rejected like that. The kiss had been perfect, toe curling, mind numbing, but then he had to go and ruin it by ending it. She sort of understood; he didn't want to take advantage of her, she respected that. But it didn't mean that it didn't still sting.

She wasn't sure when these feeling she was having for Damon had first surfaced. Long before he had left, long before Stefan had broken her trust; that much she knew. She had always hidden the way she felt for him, burying it deep and pretending that it didn't exist. She didn't want to be like Katherine, she didn't want to tear the brothers apart.

Last night she had given into those feelings for just a few seconds, and it had been overwhelming. He had this weird affect on her, like he had the ability to intensify all her emotions. It was disturbing and terrifying and _exiting. _

Her self-preservation instinct was telling her to shut it off. Go back to pretending that she didn't feel anything for anyone. It was easier that way, she was less likely to get hurt.

She sighed and contemplated the object in her hands. Her mind seemed to be having an internal battle. The part of her that wanted to give in to the overwhelming emotions was telling her to throw the razor on the floor and run from the room. But the other part of her, the devil on her shoulder so to speak, was reminding her how dangerous that could be, and deliciously liberating drawing the blade through her flesh would feel.

She groaned in frustration, the razor hovering above her outstretched arm. To cut or not to cut? To feel or not to feel?

"Elena?" His voice came from just outside the door.

She jumped in surprise and felt the blood rush from her face. She cursed vampires and their annoying ability to sneak up on people as she struggled to hide the evidence of her train of thought. She shoved the razor into the waistband of her pants and hastily wiped her finger on a towel.

She glanced around the bathroom, but that was nothing that might give away what she had almost done.

"Are you ok?" Damon called, knocking lightly on the door.

She quickly jumped up and opened the door offering him a small smile.

"I'm fine." She murmured, avoiding his eyes.

She brushed passed him and cringed as the razor fell to the floor. She turned back, almost praying that he hadn't noticed, even while knowing that was impossible.

There was a deafening silence as he picked it up and looked at her. His face was emotionless and cold.

She gulped and kept her gaze fixed on the carpet.

"Show me your arms." He said quietly.

She sighed and rolled up her sleeves, there was no point in arguing with him. Besides she hadn't created any new scars, he had arrived just as she was about to.

"I didn't do it." She said, letting him examine her skin. "See, no new ones."

His fingers were gentle and cool against her damaged skin and she felt a fluttering in her stomach at the touch. She blushed and let her hair fall to partially cover her red face.

He nodded and pulled her top back down to cover her arms. He let go and she took a step back, still avoiding eye contact.

"Good girl." He said in a softer tone. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She swallowed loudly and shook her head.

"Not really."

He watched her intently.

"Elena, I want you to promise me you won't hurt yourself again." His voice was firm and full of resolve.

She wasn't sure she could do that. She had been so close to it, she would have done it had he not shown up at that moment, she was sure of it.

She stared her shoes, avoiding his probing eyes.

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. She was instantly reminded of the night before and felt heat rising to her cheeks once again. If he was aware of her change of thoughts he didn't show it.

"Promise me Elena." He insisted.

She found herself wanting to promise him, she wanted him to be proud of her, to look at her with new-found respect and admiration. She hated the feeling of wanting someone's approval.

When she didn't reply he sighed and brushed his thumb against her cheek. Her heart fluttered and she internally rolled her eyes at her body's lack of control.

"Please, just give me that peace of mind ok? I need you to be safe." He murmured.

His inhumanly beautiful eyes were searching hers, silently begging her to say the words he needed to hear.

She suddenly felt the urge to drag a blade across her skin dissipate. She could see the fear and pain in Damon's eyes and she just wanted to make it go away. She wanted to give the peace of mind that he needed, she wanted to reassure him, and she wanted to _mean _it.

"I promise." She said quietly, finding resolve in her words.

And she did mean it. In that moment she made a promise to _herself. _She wouldn't cause Damon that pain; she wouldn't be that selfish.

A ghost of a smile crossed his lips before he backed away from her, letting go of her face and letting his hands fall to his side.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"Damon…"

She wanted to explain last night to him, assure him that the kiss had nothing whatsoever to do with Stefan. Tell him that it was just him; only him.

He seemed to sense where the conversation was headed and cut her off before she could get the words out.

"We need to talk about school. "

She raised her eyebrows, momentarily forgetting what she wanted to say to him. The surprise at hearing those words out of his mouth taking her off guard.

"School?" She asked skeptically, wondering when Damon had become so responsible.

"I take it you haven't been going." He stated, pulling his phone out of his pocket as it started buzzing.

She shrugged and turned away.

He glanced at his phone and sighed.

"Ric told me you haven't gone in weeks Elena."

"Yeah…it wasn't exactly top priority you know."

He nodded.

"Well you only have a few semesters left. I'll go and do some _persuading _and you can pick up where you left off." He said matter of factly.

Elena swallowed nervously, her mouth suddenly dry. Going to school would be a nightmare, Caroline was gone, Bonnie hated her, everyone knew what she had been up to for the past weeks. The grill was proof enough that she was going to be the butt of a lot of jokes for a long time to come.

"I don't know if…" She trailed off, trying to think of a way to explain this to him.

"Elena." He said in a softer tone. "I know that it will be hard, but you have to graduate high school. You are going to regret it if you don't. A few years down the line when you're trying to get a job, you are going to a GED."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed that he was making so much sense.

"I liked it better when your idea of taking care of me was kidnapping me and getting me drunk." She said with sigh.

He chuckled and turned to leave.

"I'll go work my magic at the school. I'll be back in an hour or so."

She groaned when she found herself suddenly alone in his room. She hadn't gotten a chance to explain anything. Something had been off with him, he had seemed too detached, preoccupied. He was pulling away, distancing himself so that he could act on thoughts instead of feelings. He didn't want to get hurt. He didn't want to get hurt by _her. _ She swallowed the lump in her throat at that thought, wondering how many times she had unknowingly hurt him in the past.

They were more alike than either would like to believe, she realized. They had the ability to shut off the pain. They had both experienced too much in their lives, they had both lost too much. And not gained enough.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, I know, I know I need to make delena happen ASAP! I'm working on it, but I don't think either of them would just jump into bed after everything that's happened. I also think that Elena needs to work on getting well again and dealing with the repercussions of her actions...Hence the school thing. <strong>

**Also there is the whole story line of who took Damon...That is going to be explored a LOT more. And we haven't seen the last of Stefan either...**

**Serena xoxo**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 22**

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><p>The next couple days passed uneventfully, Damon had sorted things out at her school and Elena was planning to go back on Monday. Damon made sure she was busy during the daytime, anything to take her mind off whatever bad habits she had sunk into over the past months. She had spent the nights at the boarding house but Damon hadn't joined her, she didn't know where he went. He was there when she went to sleep and when she woke up but there were no signs that he had slept anywhere in the house. She slept in his bed, she knew that was probably the reason he was avoiding it, but she selfishly didn't want move. She felt safe there, surrounded by his belongings and smell. It was as though nothing could harm her when she was wrapped in his sheets.<p>

They hadn't talked about their kiss. She had tried to bring it up on numerous occasions but he had always avoided the topic. He kept their relationship strictly platonic, and their conversations light and meaningless.

She had been doing well; the urge to cut was diminishing, as was her desire for alcohol. Not that it wasn't hard. Damon had caught her with one of his scotch bottles resulting in an argument and him hiding all the booze in the house.

Sometimes she would catch Damon looking at her in a way that made her chest ache. There was such intensity on his face, such love in his eyes that she wanted more than anything to explain that she felt the same way.

* * *

><p>Damon was struggling. He was struggling with life, with love, with responsibility. He was just struggling with everything. He was desperately trying to hold it all together, but every minute it got harder.<p>

Every second of every day he could feel Elena's lips against his, her delicate fingers on his skin. It was taking everything he had not to grab her and force her into a repeat performance. His bed was coated in her sweet scent, the sheets rumpled, the pillows slept on. The entire house was full of her, her smell, her warmth, her _presence. _ He felt like he was drowning in her, the only way to save himself being him pulling her down with him. He didn't want to be that guy for her, he didn't want to be one of her distractions. He _couldn't _be. It would break him completely, if he was _with _her only to be cast aside when the deed was done.

He knew she was confused by the way he was behaving. And that only made it harder. He hated seeing her upset, especially when he was the cause. But he was doing the right thing, however much he hated it, however much he wished that things could be different. He was doing the right thing.

He hadn't slept well in days. Every time he closed his eyes he was haunted by the image of her barely alive body sprawled on her bathroom floor. It was that that reminded him why he had to keep their relationship platonic. He was helping her get better, being there for her when she needed him. In a strictly friendly way. He was getting her life back on track, not letting his feelings get in the way of her well being.

That was more important than anything else.

* * *

><p>He lay on the couch in the boarding house living room, staring unseeingly out of the rain-streaked window. He could hear Elena getting dressed upstairs, dragging a comb through her hair, slipping on her shoes. He heard her sigh softly before traipsing down the stairs towards him.<p>

He braced himself for her presence, as pathetic as it sounded; containing himself around her had become quite a feat.

"Good morning Damon." She said quietly, giving him a small smile.

He nodded in reply, letting his eyes drift over her petite figure. He swallowed compulsively and looked away, trying to get the image of how well that particular pair of jeans hugged her curves, out of his mind.

"So, I was hoping we could maybe talk?" She murmured, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

He glanced at her cautiously.

"Oh? What's on your mind?" He asked, his expression guarded.

She sighed and moved closer to the couch.

She knew she had to get it out before he realized what she was trying to talk about. All the other times he had successfully evaded her whenever she had even tried to bring it up. She chewed on her lip, contemplating what to say.

"It had nothing to do with Stefan." She suddenly blurted out. While it didn't live up to the epic speech she had prepared in her mind, it got the point across.

Damon's eyes snapped to hers briefly before he looked away, his walls firmly in place.

"Elena." He said warningly, moving to stand up.

She rushed to his side and placed her hands on his shoulders, keeping him in place.

He could have easily broken out of her grip but he allowed her to hold him still, his skin burning where she touched him.

"Please just listen to me." She begged.

He clenched his jaw and looked anywhere but her eyes, which he knew would be enormous and pleading. Impossible to say no to.

"I kissed you because…"

He was up before she could finish her sentence.

"Don't." He spat.

She flinched at the hostility that was rolling off him in waves.

He found himself briefly wondering what he was doing. If he just let her talk they could get it over with and get past all this awkwardness. They could go back to how things were before. He knew she was about to give him some excuse as to why she had done it, and promise him that she _cared. _But he didn't think he could hear it. He didn't think he could listen to another one of her '_I care about you, Damon' _speeches. They always ended with a 'but' and it was that three letter word that would break his heart just a little more.

She reached out to touch his arm.

"Please…" She started.

He flinched away from and forced himself to ignore the tears that were swimming in her eyes.

"Leave it alone! Why can't you just leave it the hell alone?" He yelled, his words coming out harsher than he had intended.

She grabbed his hand before he could stop her.

"Damon!"

He yanked himself out of her grasp with superhuman force, cringing when he felt her finger twist unnaturally against his hand.

She cried out in pain and looked up at him with nothing but hurt in her watery eyes.

Her face crumpled and she turned and ran out of the house, cradling her hand against her chest.

He stood rooted to the spot, a mixture of disbelief and disgust coursing through his veins. This was a new low for him. Not only had he brought her to tears, but he had actually _physically _hurt her. Something he swore he would never do.

His face twisted in anger and his fist collided with the wall, breaking it easily, only serving to remind him that with that very strength he had _hurt _her not seconds before. _He had hurt Elena._

He looked back at the window, the sky was dark with clouds, the air thick with torrential rain. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to have her safe in his arms. He needed to tell her that it was all him, that she was perfect and sweet and kind and _precious. _That everything was his fault and he's sorry and he'll protect her forever.

He found himself tearing out of the door into the downpour. He searched for her figure, the rain impairing visibility.

"Elena? Elena!" He called, possessed by a sudden, immobilizing fear. She could have slipped and broken her neck, she could have been hit by a passing car, swerving out of control in the water.

"Elena!" He searched desperately for any sense of her, breathing a sigh of relief when he heard her pounding heartbeat relatively close to him. He followed the delicious sound until he saw her. She was standing at the bottom of the driveway, looking like she didn't know what to do next. Her hair was plastered to her head and dark streaks of mascara stained her cheeks. Even when she was a complete mess she looked impossibly beautiful.

She noticed him and gulped, wiping angrily at her face.

"Leave me alone." She shouted. "I don't want to talk to you."

He felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at her pitiful expression. How could he do this to her?

"I'm sorry ok?" He yelled.

The rain was beating down on them, tracing paths down his face.

"I'm sorry that I keep hurting you. I'm sorry that every time I move you get _hurt_."

She was crying openly now, water and tears mixing on her cheeks.

"I keep trying to do the right thing. I'm trying to do what's best for you, but I don't know how any more. Because I want you so much."

He was choking on his words and she was sure that the wetness on his face wasn't only caused by the torrential downpour.

"I'm trying not to be selfish. But I love you. I love you so much that it _hurts_ every time I look at you."

He ran a hand through his hair and stared up at the sky, letting the rain hit his closed eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said again, quieter this time, as though admitting defeat.

Elena gasped, trying to hold in her sobs.

"Damon." She cried.

And suddenly she was running. She didn't care about anything else, she just had to get to him. He heard her footsteps and opened his eyes and arms just in time to catch her as she hurled herself against him.

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pressed a hand against his cheek and stared into his blue eyes, they were watery and intense. _Beautiful. _

"Has it ever occurred to you that letting me love you might be the right thing to do?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

And then his lips were on hers, hot and desperate. She responded with equal need, showing him her love in every touch and caress. Pouring her passion into that one kiss, leaving them both gasping for breath.

"I love you so much." She moaned into his mouth.

He pulled away and stared at her with something in between elation and disbelief.

"I love you. I love _you. _I _love _you." She whispered, holding his gaze unflinchingly.

He was incapable of forming a sentence, her sweet words whirling around his brain. She loved him. Elena Gilbert loved him. The thought was so extraordinary that he felt the sudden urge to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it. But no, he could see the truth in her eyes, they were filled with the one emotion that had never ever been directed at him in his very long life. Love.

She was gazing at him _lovingly. _

She pressed her lips to his in a caress. Softly, sweetly telling him everything he needed to know. She was his. It was undoubtedly the best moment of his existence.

She shivered slightly in the rain and he snapped out of his _love _induced reverie and carried her to the house. Suddenly worried by her soaking clothes and pale skin.

He set on the couch, right where he'd been sitting only minutes earlier. How did everything change in such a short period of time?

She hissed in pain as her finger got caught on his shirt. He instantly knelt beside her and took her hand gently in his, rage and remorse filling him when he saw her oddly bent finger.

He brought it to his mouth and pressed light kisses over every inch of her hand, punctuating each brush of his lips with a whispered apology.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He murmured, holding the damaged extremity like it was the most precious thing in the world.

He pulled back to examine the extent of her injury, being careful not to cause her even the slightest discomfort.

"Your beautiful, beautiful hands." He breathed.

Elena watched him, her heart filling with an unmatchable warmth. No one had ever shown this much love to her, no one had ever made her feel so cherished. She felt her eyes flood with a new batch of tears. She found herself wondering why the hell it had taken her so long to realize that it was him. _It was him all along, it was always Damon. _

She ran her unharmed hand through his wet hair, reveling in the fact that she could touch him without feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

His eyes snapped to hers, disbelief etched across his features.

"_What?" _He asked as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Elena, you have nothing, _nothing _to apologize for."

She pressed her hand to the side of his face, brushing her thumb against his chin.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." She breathed, before reaching forwards and pressing her lips to his.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok well that is <em>not <em>where I was planning to go with this chapter! They weren't going to get together for at least another three chapters, but I guess they couldn't wait, cos once I started this I couldn't stop! I hope it was worth the wait and their culmination was good enough.. **

**- Serena x**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

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><p>"<em>I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." She breathed, before reaching forwards and pressing her lips to his.<em>

* * *

><p>She couldn't pinpoint a moment when she had realized that she was in love with Damon. It had just happened over time. She had gone from being curious about him to caring about him, to trying with all her might to hate him, to caring about him to trying to hate him, to trying to pretend she <em>didn't<em> love him, to loving him. It wasn't something she chose or had any control over, but it was something she was completely sure about.

There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Damon Salvatore. For all his flaws and idiocies, she loved him, truly and completely.

She thought she had probably realized it on some level before he had disappeared. But in his absence, and all the heartbreak that followed, she had pushed those feelings so far down that she had almost forgotten they existed. That had been the plan after all; forget she even had feelings of any sort. Let alone ones involving _love. _

But with him here, invading her mind and soul, everything had just come to a head. Forcing her to reconcile with the fact that these things she felt for him were real and stronger than she'd ever thought.

Somehow Damon had managed to sneak his way into her heart and hijack it. Permanently.

So here she was, staring into those eyes that were so blue they should be illegal, wondering why on earth she had wasted so much time.

The expression on his face was that of someone who had finally found home after centuries of searching. He looked at peace…in love.

His large hand was cupping the side of her face, his fingers gently brushing against her damp hair.

"I'll be mad at you for being such an emotional idiot tomorrow. Today I just want to enjoy this." He murmured with a small smile.

She grinned at him, a euphoric feeling running through her, making her think her chest was going to explode.

This. This right here was love. The sort of love that didn't fade or break. It went beyond the simple _I love you. _It was based on a true friendship, an unbreakable bond and an unexplainable connection.

She could see everything she felt, reflected in his eyes.

But all too soon something flickered across those beautiful orbs and the smile disappeared from his face to be replaced by _shame_.

Her heart lurched at the change in demeanor.

His hand dropped from her cheek and he touched her throbbing finger gingerly. His expression was heartbreaking, a mixture of self-hatred, guilt and pain.

"You need to drink my blood Elena." He said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

"No, it's fine. It barely even hurts! Don't worry." She said quickly, desperate to take away his distress, to get back that moment where both of them were perfectly happy.

"No it's not. It's _broken_, either you take my blood or I take you to the hospital."

He still wouldn't meet her eyes and Elena felt a tendril of fear run through her.

"Damon, look at me." She pleaded.

She cupped his chin with her good hand and tilted his face towards hers.

"That was an accident. You are not to blame. You didn't hurt me."

He clenched his jaw at the words.

"I _broke _your finger Elena. How can you say I didn't hurt you?" His voice was hard and unwavering but she could hear the desperate edge to it.

"Was it your intention to hurt me?" She asked, knowing the answer.

His eyes flickered with surprise.

"What? No of course not!" He said adamantly, sounding insulted by the notion.

"That makes it an accident. Accidents happen and no one is to blame." She stressed, her thumb brushing against the stubble on his chin.

He looked slightly mollified, but she could see that it was still bothering him. She sighed.

"I will drink your blood if it will make you feel better." She relented.

Anything to get back his smile.

He breathed a sigh of relief and moved to sit next to her.

"I must never forget how fragile you are." He murmured, almost to himself.

There was something about that sweet sentence, whispered under his breath, a mixture of a prayer and a mental note that made her heart swell with pride that he was _hers_. He was hers and she wasn't going to let him go.

He bit into his wrist and held it out to her.

Unlike the other times she had tasted his blood, he didn't force his arm against her mouth. He gave her the option to turn away, holding the small wound a few inches from her slightly parted lips.

She met his gaze and brought her mouth to his skin, tentatively licking at the dark liquid. It tasted different than it had before. It was almost like she could _feel _him. There was no bitterness or antagonism, just an overwhelming sense of acceptance. She wasn't sure how blood tasted like emotions, but it did in a way. At least this time. Maybe because their emotions _for each other _were running so high in that moment that any further connection forged between them was bound to be powerful.

His eyes fluttered as her lips latched onto his wrist, sucking gently at the warm substance.

When she finally pulled away her mouth was slightly swollen and a single drop of red lingered on her lower lip.

Damon swallowed at the extraordinary sight, reaching forward impulsively to pull her face to his.

This kiss was fueled by desire. A desire that had been denied for far too long. Lips were pressed desperately together, tongues dancing, hands wandering.

Elena's injured digit healed and she buried her hand in Damon's raven locks, pulling him harder against her, wanting to be so close to him that she forgot where she left off and he began.

He pushed her back on the sofa and pressed the length of his body lightly against hers. His arms on either side of him, supporting his weight as his lips explored her neck.

She arched into him, arms wrapped around him, hands roaming across the taught muscles on his back. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything. She wanted every part of him, and judging by the way he was kissing her, he felt the same.

"How about we move this to my room." He murmured between kisses.

Elena was pleased to hear the teasing lilt back in his voice. She had missed it.

She nodded, too breathless to form words to show just how much she liked that idea.

He chuckled at her eagerness and before she could blink, there was a rush of air and she found herself lying in the middle of Damon's expansive bed. He stood for a moment, watching her, as though committing the image to memory.

She moaned at the loss of contact and his eyes darkened as he moved to cover her again, kissing her with renewed fervor.

"Damon…I want…" She struggled to find words amidst the haze of pleasure that surrounded her.

He nibbled on her earlobe, eliciting a strangled gasp from her.

"What do you want Elena?" He whispered, his voice soft and seductive.

She groaned, and the ache for him intensified.

She pulled his head up until she was staring into his eyes.

"You. I want you."

* * *

><p><strong>So here's the thing... I can turn this into a lemon, or I can keep it classy and leave it to the imagination! What do you think?<strong>

**SPOILER**

**That scene at the end of The Hybrid was so adorable, it completely inspired me to start writing again! Just when I was beginning to lose faith, they deliver a beautiful scene like that one and it's all better :) **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

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><p><strong>Due to an almost unanimous chorus of "LEMON!" This chapter contains explicit material!<strong>

* * *

><p>Damon stared down at the petite girl beneath him. She was so beautiful, her dark locks messily splayed across <em>his<em> pillow, her perfect lips swollen from _his _kisses, her deep, chocolate eyes burning with desire for _him._

"Elena." He groaned, a hand tracing her flawless face as he allowed his mind a moment to acknowledge the fact that this was real. He wasn't dreaming or fantasizing, Elena, the woman he had been so head over heels in love with for so long was lying in his bed practically begging to be taken by him.

He felt a rush of desire unlike anything he had ever felt before and crashed his lips to hers in a kiss that was a perfect mixture of passion and love.

Her hands were tugging at his shirt, slipping beneath it and tracing the planes of his muscles.

"Needs to come _off._" She huffed, pouting adorably as she battled with the material.

He pulled back to take the shirt off and she sighed in satisfaction, her fingers touching, caressing, memorizing him as their lips met again.

"Your turn." He smirked, inwardly grinning at the goose bumps that erupted on her smooth skin as his hands slipped under the cotton of her top. He pulled the garment over her head and tossed it behind them onto the floor.

She was wearing a dark blue lacy bra and he groaned loudly at the impossibly heavenly image. Her was olive skin flawless and inviting. He reached behind her and the bra soon joined their shirts on the floor. His already dark eyes glazed over with desire at the sight of her perfect round breasts. He captured one with his lips and paid it the respect it deserved, delighting in the sweet and salty taste of her skin.

Her breath was coming out in delicious little gasps that were music to his ears as he pressed kisses over every inch of exposed skin. When he reached the waistband of her jeans he looked up at her, silently asking permission to continue. She nodded briefly, lifting her hips to help him as he tugged the jeans down her long legs.

He kissed down each endless limb, before finally ripping her blue panties to shreds and flinging them away. Her mumbled objection turned into a moan as his lips found her center.

"Damon." She tangled her fingers in his raven hair, arching her back as he skillfully sent her spiraling out of control.

"Now. I need you _now._" She panted, tugging him up so her fingers could reach his belt.

He licked his lips, even more turned on by her eagerness. He helped her rid him of his pants and hovered above her, dragging out that precious moment before, a little longer.

He knew there were things to talk about. The why's and what now's. But he wanted to take this one thing, without thinking about the consequences. He didn't want to think about how she might regret it afterwards, or how it was bound to all be too good to be true. He just wanted to have this one perfect memory of her.

"Please." Her breathy voice snapped him from his deliberation and he smiled at her, enchanted by her answering grin.

He held her gaze as he thrust into her for the first time.

The world seemed to pause, every nerve in his body consumed by the exquisite pleasure of being inside her.

Damon was in heaven. She was so small and soft and warm, and she was his. He had been with countless woman over the course of his long existence, but none of them held a candle to Elena's beauty. She was perfect, her body fit with his like it was made to be there. She felt natural in his arms, as though she was a connecting puzzle piece that had been missing for far too long. Now she was here, he was complete; he didn't need anything else, just her in his arms forever. His.

Her eyes were misty as she gazed at him and he could see those exact thoughts swimming around in her dark orbs. Her lips were parted in wonder.

"Oh Damon." She whispered, eyes fluttering as he began to move.

"Elena." He murmured, watching the pleasure on her face as he thrust into her.

Her legs were wrapped around his waist, her hands gripping his shoulders, her eyes never leaving his.

The mixture of her absolute perfection and his intense love for her was making him lose control fast. He had wanted this for so long, he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone, he loved her more than he had ever loved anyone.

She cried out in pleasure and arched her back, pushing herself harder against him.

God she was perfect.

"Elena, my Elena." He brushed a strand of hair back from her face, his thumb caressing her cheekbone as he leant down to kiss her.

It was a soft kiss. Not bruising and needy like the others. This was full of love and promise and hope.

She broke away for air just as they both hurtled over the edge into oblivion, screaming each other's names in ecstasy. Both riding the wave of the most intense orgasm either had ever experienced.

They collapsed in each others arms, bodies singing in the afterglow.

Damon half expected Elena to get up and turn away, ashamed by what they had done. He was bracing himself for the instant regret he was sure he was about to see on her face. Instead she rested her head against his chest and curled into his side. Her eyes were closed and there was a sweet smile on her lips; she looked content and happy.

"That was amazing." She mumbled against his skin.

She shivered slightly as the cool air of the room touched her naked body and Damon pulled the sheets up around them, wrapping his arms around her small frame and holding her protectively against him.

"Yeah, it was. It really was." He agreed softly, gazing at her angelic face and wondering just when this would all come crashing down around him. Surely it was too good to be true?

"I love you." She murmured, before gently drifting off to sleep in his arms.

Yeah, definitely too good to be true.

"I love you too. Always."

* * *

><p><strong>I hope the smut was ok… I wanted to make sure it was very different from her other 'encounters', I feel like it had to be very much about love with Damon, not just desire… I hope it worked! Also I kept it his POV, not quite sure why but it just felt better than the other way round!<strong>

**Anyway, review and let me know what you think, and what you want to happen next! :) **


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

* * *

><p>Elena woke up slowly, smiling as she felt Damon's strong arms holding her close. His face was buried in her hair and she could feel his soft breath in her ear. She turned in his embrace and gazed at him. Even in sleep he was expressive, there was a slight smile on his lips and an almost innocent look on his face.<p>

She pressed her lips to his throat, before snuggling into his chest. She felt so warm and safe in his arms. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy.

"Mm, I could get used to waking up like this." He murmured, tightening his hold on her and sighing softly.

"Me too."

He opened his eyes and she, as always found herself getting lost in his bright baby blues.

"I love your eyes." She said before she could stop herself, blushing at the impulsive statement.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Well I love _you._"

She grinned and pulled him down for a proper kiss.

"I love you too."

"Ah I love the way that sounds."

Elena paused at the words, her eyes flashing with sadness. She wondered how often he had heard those words before in his life. Somehow she had a feeling it hadn't happened a lot. She stroked his cheek, wondering how life had been so cruel to him. He had such a capacity for love, for loyalty for kindness. She remembered her words in the kitchen all those months ago; he genuinely believes everything he's done has been for love.

She made herself a silent promise in that moment, whatever happened, whatever he did, wherever life took them, she would never let him go a day without knowing that she loved him.

She rested her head on his chest, his hand had found its way to her hair and he twirled it around his fingers, playing with the long strands.

"Will you tell me what happened to you when you were gone?" Elena asked, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingers.

He had avoided that topic with her ever since he had gotten back.

He sighed and his hand in her hair stilled.

"It's not a pretty story." He said quietly.

"I can take it."

There was a long silence and Elena thought that he had decided not to tell her.

"It was well planned." He said suddenly, his voice low.

Her heart sped up as she prepared herself for the story he had been hiding from her for so long.

"I've pissed some people off pretty badly over the years…but this was more than that." He paused.

"Four vampires managed to catch me off guard and knock me out with vervain. I woke up in some sort of cell… It was…"

He glanced down at her, seeming to change his mind about something.

"To cut a long story short, they tortured me, and I got away."

When he didn't say more, she knew he was giving her the watered down version, leaving out the gory details she was sure were there.

She raised her head to look at him, concern written in her deep brown eyes.

"Who were _they_? Why did they want to hurt you?"

"I'm not sure, I recognized a couple of them…people I'd screwed over in my pathetic search for Katherine. But there must have been some kind of ringleader, someone with a huge vendetta against me. It's a lot of trouble to go to for a little revenge." He mused.

"But you don't know who?"

"No. I didn't see them."

"Can you think of anyone who you hurt badly enough to go to this kind of trouble?"

"Not really. I mean I can think of plenty of people who want me dead..."

She flinched at the finality of the word.

"But no one who would waste that much effort, or have those kind of resources. I would have thought I would remember annoying somebody _that _badly."

She thought for a second.

"Well, what would make _you_ angry enough to spend years planning revenge?"

His body tensed and his arms tightened around her. There was a long silence before he answered, and when he did his voice was hard and full of certainty.

"Someone hurting you. I wouldn't stop until they died. Painfully."

She shivered at the cold conviction in his words.

"Well there's your answer. Maybe you unknowingly took someone very important away from someone, they might have been planning ever since."

He sighed and she could see the regret on his face.

"It's very possible." He murmured, avoiding her eyes.

She was suddenly struck by the importance of his words_. I wouldn't stop until they died. Painfully._

"But Damon, that means this person could still be after you…you said you didn't meet them…?"

He nodded slowly.

"It will take them a while to build up the resources again. I killed all the little minions."

She frowned and bit her lip.

"Just…be careful. I couldn't bare it if something happened to you. I can't lose you I…It would be so much so worse…"

He tilted her chin up and pressed a soft kiss to her nose.

"Hey. You're not going to lose me. I'm not going anywhere, not now I've got you all to myself."

She giggled softly, and relaxed at the reassurance. But the nagging worry was still there in the back of her mind.

"You know what kept me going, made me strong enough to get out of there?"

She shook her head.

"You. I didn't want to die without seeing you again."

His voice was barely audible but she heard him loud and clear. She felt tears spring to her eyes at the sudden emotion that rushed through her.

"I love you. So much." She whispered before pressing her lips to his.

He kissed her softly, returning the sentiment without words.

Damon was still reeling over the events of the last twenty-four hours. Last night had been everything he had ever wanted, he had been so sure that he had misunderstood somehow and it would all disappear as suddenly as it had manifested. He had lain with his eyes closed, when he felt Elena wake up that morning, not wanting to see the regret on her face. When he had felt her impossibly soft lips pressing against his neck and her warm body burrowing closer to his, he thought he was still dreaming, or had died and somehow ended up in heaven.

But instead he had opened his eyes to see Elena's sweet face gazing at him, her perfect lips whispering words of love. It was surreal. And while there was still a major part of him that was sure this was all going to somehow turn out to be some cosmic joke played on him by the universe, he wasn't going to waste time second-guessing. He had Elena in his arms, smiling at him, kissing him; he sure as hell was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

"What do you want to do today? We can do anything you want." He said, changing the subject and lightening the mood.

She pretended to think about it, twisting her lips into an adorable pout.

"Stay in bed. And have sex." She said matter of factly, grinning when she saw the look of pleasant surprise on his face.

"Anything for you kitten." He teased with a long-suffering sigh.

Before she could reply, his mouth was on hers and his hard body was pressing her into the bed, making her lose all coherent thoughts.

* * *

><p>Outside in the shadows a hooded figure stood, staring silently through the window. He watched the couple frolicking on the bed, his eyes darkening with every word that floated down to his ears.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>So do you think it's Stefan or someone else...? Don't forget to review! <strong>_

_**Oh and was anyone else really disappointed with last weeks episode? I hated it. :( **_


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Caroline sat in the small hotel room in Indiana that she had been sharing with Stefan. She stared at her phone, worry lines creasing her face as Stefan's phone went to voice mail again. He had said he was only leaving for a couple of days, but it had been a lot more than that. They had been traveling around the country, motel hopping, hunting and bonding. And while they were both too consumed by guilt to actually call what they were doing _fun_, she had thought they had been getting on well. In the grand scheme of things anyway.

Honestly she had been feeling worse and worse with every day that went by about the way she had left Elena. She was supposed to be her best friend, and she had just ditched her in her time of need.

She flopped back onto the lumpy bed and sighed. She had been so terrified of being the only vampire in mystic falls, of having to deal with everything by herself, that she had jumped at the chance of tagging along with Stefan. Not to mention the fact that he was her friend, she felt sorry for him, he had just being trying to protect Elena, she truly believed that.

But now, alone in some ugly little room in the middle of no where, her thoughts were stuck on her best friend. That understanding yet heartbroken look on Elena's face when she told her that she was leaving, was playing on a loop in her head.

She glanced back down at her phone, the display still read no new messages. She ran a hand clumsily through her hair, squeezing her eyes closed as she tried to come to a decision. Maybe she could just pop back home to check on everyone. Stefan would never know, it didn't look like he was on his way back from wherever he was anyway.

She nodded to herself.

"I'm going to do it." She murmured to the empty room.

Her heart clenching with excitement and fear at the idea of going back to mystic falls. She knew that she might not get the warmest reception; she had just left without a word after all. She hesitated, maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

A few rounds of getting to know each other later, Damon and Elena lay panting in the bed, their limbs entangled and slightly giddy smiles on their faces.

"I wish I could stay here all day, but there is a quick errand I need to run." Damon murmured, his hand absently tangled in her hair.

Elena frowned and snuggled closer to him, drawing her legs around his hips to prevent him from moving. He groaned at the contact and closed his eyes in frustration.

"You're torturing me."

"So don't leave!"

He sighed.

"There's a council meeting, I should go and smooth things over, explain my absence, get back in with the idiots…"

She mumbled in protest and he chuckled quietly.

"I need to know if there's any potential danger… I gotta keep my princess safe." He said with a smirk, placing soft kisses on edge of her jaw.

Her stomach fluttered and she smiled.

"I like being your princess." She giggled, with a blush.

He grinned and kissed her lips, softly dipping his tongue inside her delicious mouth, she moaned and the world faded as she got lost in his taste.

He pulled back with his eyes closed and smiled softly, before gently disengaging himself from her and hauling himself out of bed.

He looked down at her, hair messy and spread across his pillow, eyes deep and full of lust, the sheets rumpled around her waist leaving her perfect upper body shamelessly on display, and nearly forgot all about the stupid council and jumped back into bed.

He quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and shirt before he could be tempted by her pout. He needed to go to the meeting, he needed to be aware of what was going on the town, and besides, he was worried about Stefan.

"I won't be long, I promise." He assured her, leaning down and pecking her on the lips, she tried to pull him closer but he evaded her.

"Nope, not going to work. I'm being responsible."

She scowled.

"Why do you have to go and decide to be responsible _now_?"

"Well…precious cargo and all." He murmured.

Her stomach did that distracting flip flop again and she felt a goofy grin spread across her face.

He winked and ruffled her hair.

"I'll be an hour, two most."

He grabbed his phone and keys, kissed her one more time and hurried to the door.

"I love you." She called after him.

He looked back at her and gave her one of those rare and truly genuine smiles that she adored.

"I love you too."

Damon drove to the meeting quickly, his thoughts filled with Elena. The idea that she was his was so new to him. A part of him was still certain that he had died and gone to heaven, and that Elena would never be with him in the real world, but there was another part of him, which was beginning to acknowledge the fact that she _was_his. He could kiss her, touch her, love her without someone telling him not to or pushing him away. It was the most enrapturing feeling he had ever had during his 160 odd years on this earth.

And he was determined to let no harm come to her. It had been obvious after their little run in with Stefan that he was on human blood and it had been bugging him ever since. He wanted to make sure that he was the first to know about any unexplained animal attacks around town.

The meeting had gone well. He explained his absence with an easy lie and alongside a few apologies he was welcomed back with open arms. Sheriff Forbes was spending all her time looking for Caroline and so wasn't very active on the council anymore. He had also been glad to learn that there had been no attacks in or nearby town. Although the sensible part of him knew that that just meant that Stefan was being careful, it was still a weight off his shoulders.

It wasn't until he was walking back to his car, swinging his keys in his hand, that his mood darkened. Bonnie was walking on the other side of the road, a book tucked under her arm and a hard expression on her face. Damon scowled and crossed the road, standing in front of her and forcing her to stop. She glared up at him.

"What do you want? I thought you were gone." She said in an irritated tone.

Damon resisted the urge to just snap the stupid girl's neck.

"Do they give awards for being the worst best friend in the history of time? Cause you should be nominated, go for the gold." He replied, his voice equally cold.

"I sorted out my priorities and decided where my loyalty lay. That's not a crime." She snapped back.

"No, but getting on my bad side isn't a very good idea. And right now you're so far south of my bad side you're in fucking Antarctica."

"Don't threaten me Damon. I can take you down."

"I'd like to see you try." He scoffed, cracking his knuckles and letting the veins under his eyes show just a little.

He almost grinned when he saw Bonnie's small gulp.

"Don't come near me again." She spat, turning on her heal and walking briskly away.

Damon rolled his eyes and headed back to his car, a skip in his step as he thought of getting back to Elena. The whole excursion had taken a lot less time than he had thought; less than an hour.

Elena smiled and snuggled down into the pillows after Damon left. She had no intention of leaving his bed until he got home. She couldn't seem to wipe that stupid grin off her face. In the middle of the lowest point of her life, she had found something that could make her happier than anything. Damon healed her, not just physically, although he seemed to do that a lot too, but mentally, emotionally. He taught her how to smile again and made all the pain take a back seat.

She didn't want to hurt herself any more, she didn't need to make herself numb and let herself be used. He'd shown her, reminded her that love _was_real and worth fighting for. He'd made her feel needed and wanted, he'd healed her. Inside and out.

She giggled to herself. When had she become such a sap?

Her grumbling tummy ruined her plan of just staying tangled in Damon's sheets until he returned and she reluctantly clambered out of bed, pulling one of his long black shirts over her head. She internally did a little hop at how she felt wearing his clothes and felt a slight tug of sadness that she didn't have a best friend to call and squeal with. She would have liked to gush to Caroline about how happy she was and how she seemed to have a continuous butterfly ballroom in her stomach.

She sighed and carried on down to the kitchen, forcing thoughts of Caroline away. She wasn't going to let anything kill her buzz.

She put in some toast and pulled Damon's shirt tighter around her, loving how enveloped she was in his smell. Wearing his clothes, the smell of his aftershave filling all her senses, her hair rumpled from his fingers, she felt like she was truly _his._ It was an amazing feeling.

If someone had told her two years ago that Damon Salvatore would be the person to make her happy beyond imagination, she would have laughed in their face. But he had, despite everything, she was happy. Really and truly happy. It was an almost foreign feeling.

"I'm happy." She whispered to herself. The sentence tasted unusual on her tongue.

"Oh how sweet."

She whirled around and her heart thumped in her chest.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

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><p>Elena's heart sank as she stared at the man in front of her. He was tall and muscular and his face held no emotion whatsoever. He stared at her with a cold indifference that curdled her blood.<p>

"Whoever you are, you're making a big mistake." She said, cringing at her failed attempt to keep her voice steady.

"Why, because you have a vampire protecting you?" His voice was soft and surprising, almost kind.

"You, you're a…"

"Vampire? Yes."

Elena furtively looked around the room, trying to find something to defend herself with. She had known she had no chance when she thought he was human. Now she was pretty much screwed. There was no way a strange vampire was there with good intentions.

"What do you want?" She asked, trying to stall.

"For lack of a better word… retribution." He said, in that sickeningly silky voice. "God knows I've been searching long enough."

She paused at that. It couldn't be a coincidence that a vampire just happened to walk through Damon's door seeking revenge.

"You're the person who took Damon." She whispered, her eyes widening.

He smiled, looking slightly impressed by her deduction.

"Guilty as charged. Sadly my plan failed, he's even stronger than I had anticipated." He murmured.

She couldn't help but smirk a little at that.

"But really it was a blessing in disguise. Torturing and killing him just wouldn't be painful enough. He doesn't seem to hold all that much regard for his own life and he can take pain like no one I've ever seen."

The vampire seemed to have zoned out and was talking almost to himself.

"Then there's you." His eyes snapped back to hers and she swallowed thickly.

"I've been watching the two of you. He loves you more than anything. Losing you would hurt him far more than dying. You're the only thing that matters to him. He would know what I felt, it would be almost poetic."

Elena's already racing heart skipped and faltered before picking up even faster than before.

"What did he do, that made you so hell bent on hurting him?" She stalled, sneakily glancing at her watch and praying that Damon would, for some reason, come home early.

He snorted.

"What did he do? Oh you know, the usual. Found some pretty girl in a bar and compelled her to leave with him…" He broke off and Elena saw, for the first time, something other than anger cross his eyes. "He fucked her and drained her. Left her dead body in a dump in an alley. He didn't even bother to bury her." He spat. "But the thing was, she wasn't just some girl. She was my _you._"

His voice had risen and the veins under his eyes protruded through his skin. She could see the white of his fangs when he spoke.

"Damon Salvatore took everything from me. He took everything and it didn't matter to him, he probably wouldn't even remember her."

He was suddenly a blur, and Elena gasped when he appeared a couple of centimeters in front of her.

"I remember her every day. I miss her every day. But to him she was just a blood bag."

"I'm _so _sorry. I can't even imagine what…" She began, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Shut up! You don't get to say sorry to me. You're just going to serve your purpose. I can kill you with no regret, no second thought... and just like that, I will have taken everything away from him too."

She clenched her jaw to stop the sobs that were threatening to escape her. Her heart broke for the man in front of her, she couldn't find it in her to hate him for this, he was just a man who had lost a love and gone crazy with anger. Her stomach sank when she realized that this is what Damon would become if anything happened to her. He could go mad with pain, the rage he could unleash on the world would wreak havoc.

She took a deep breath and tried her last tactic.

"He'll kill you. He'll track you down and he'll kill you and everyone else you've ever cared about." She said thickly.

"I know."

His words brought her up short.

"What?"

He grabbed her wrist and yanked it towards him, she cried out in shock and then whimpered when he ran his thumb across the scars that decorated her arm.

"I'll make it look like you did it."

She felt a horrible sense of dread fill her chest.

"Just imagine the pain he'll feel when he comes home to find that you've committed suicide on his kitchen floor."

"You're _sick_." She spat, fresh tears pouring out of her eyes at the image. She was sorry for the man, she truly was, but she could never see past someone hurting Damon.

"The guilt he'll feel will be unbelievable. He'll never forgive himself, he'll go over and over every single thing he could have done differently, torturing himself with the what ifs."

"You don't have to do this." She pleaded, her eyes wide and imploring.

"He'll blame himself, he won't be able to live with it, without you…"

"Don't do this."

He turned and grabbed a large kitchen knife from the surface. She whimpered and turned to run, her legs shaking and unsteady.

He had her pinned to the floor in seconds.

"Consider yourself lucky. I don't see in any point in hurting you more than absolutely necessary." He murmured, looking down at her almost compassionately.

"She wouldn't have wanted you to do this." Elena blurted out, remembering how she had gotten Lee to back off in Georgia. "She would have wanted you to be the better man."

She prayed that she could somehow get through to him, but the coldness on his face was unwavering.

"Well I'll never know what she would have wanted now will I?" He sneered.

He was too far gone to be talked out of his plan. He had been chasing this for years, he had lived for this.

He snatched one of her wrists and held it out, keeping her body immobile with his knees. She began to hyperventilate when she felt the cold steel of a blade pressed against her skin. She didn't want to die, not now, not when she had Damon.

She screamed in pain when he dragged the knife through her skin. Much deeper than she'd ever gone. The blade cut through muscle and veins and scraped along her bone. She cried out and thrashed against him. Already growing weaker as her life force began to drain. He repeated the action with her other arm and stood up, leaving her lying crumpled on the floor, blood pooling around her.

"He's not coming back for at least another half hour. You'll bleed out in about three minutes." He stared at her for a second before his eyes began to darken with blood lust. With a blur and a gust of wind he was gone.

Elena lay still, her vision foggy and her senses dulled. All she could think about was what Damon would think when he found her. He would think that she had made the decision to end it, after the beautiful night they'd had, after the whispered I love yous and soft kisses. He'd think that none of it mattered to her. He'd think that she'd been lying. That she didn't love him.

The world was going black and she wanted to scream. She wanted to tell him that it meant _everything _to her, that his kisses were like nothing she'd ever felt and her love for him was so big it was hard for her to fathom.

But the darkness was racing in faster and faster and she just felt one final tear fall down her cheek before everything faded away.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well that was a quick update! I know it was kind of a sucky chapter... It wasn't very well written :( But I hope I surprised you all? You guys thought it was Stefan or Caroline right? Oh and I'm really sorry about the cliffhanger ;)<strong>_

_**Ok who else ADORED last night's episode? The Delena scenes were so epic I was basically happy dancing around my room! **_

_**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. xo**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

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><p>Damon walked into the boarding house, the easy smile that had been impossible to shake all day, still firmly on his lips.<p>

He smelled it first. Blood, lots and lots of blood, Elena's blood. He could tell her blood from anyone else's in the world.

Then the smile finally fell from his face to be replaced by dread and fear. It was just as well he didn't need to breathe, because his throat seemed to have closed in on itself. He fought the rising panic that was taking him over and ran towards the source of the smell. His feet had turned to lead and he almost stumbled as he made his way to the kitchen. There was a moment when it crossed his mind how _un-vampiric_ he was being; the scent of a young woman's blood was filling his every sense and yet his eyes remained blue, the idea of feeding the furthest from his mind.

"Elena!" His voice was several octaves higher than normal and laced with an emotion so raw that it was hard to fathom.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a couple of seconds, he reached her. She was lying on the floor in a puddle of her own blood, her wrists slashed and hanging limply at her sides. Her face was deathly pale and her eyes were closed. She was wearing his shirt, her small frame swamped by the material.

Damon fell to his knees beside her. Her blood staining his jeans.

"No, no, no, no Elena." Tears began fall from his eyes and his chest was making some sort of heaving sound he had never heard before. Everything seemed far away, like he was watching the scene play out before his eyes but he wasn't actually there.

He grabbed her wrists and pressed his hands over the gashes, trying to stop the seemingly never ending flow of blood. He didn't understand how everything had gone from being so perfect to so horrible. He couldn't wrap his mind around what his eyes were seeing.

He sat there, her wrists held tightly in his fists, almost in a trance, unable to understand what was happening for long enough to do something useful. He vaguely realized he should be giving her blood, and fumbled with his foggy brain until his thoughts began to make more sense. He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap, biting into his wrist, a little deeper than necessary and shoving it into her mouth. He forced her unresponsive lips open and let his blood flow down her throat.

Silently pleading with her to hold on, to be ok. Not able to consider the other option. She couldn't _not _be ok. He wouldn't survive that, the thought was so unbearable that he had to push it out of his mind.

His panic finally began to subside as he heard her heartbeat strengthen. The skin on her wrists began to knit itself back together and the flow her life force finally stopped.

"Thank god. Thank god, thank god." He whispered in a desperate mantra.

He cradled her body in his arms, feeling a horrible sense of déjà vu. This time though, alongside the gut wrenching pain, there was the numb ache of betrayal. Why would she do this? Why, after what they'd shared, would she throw it all away? Did it mean that little to her? Did his _love _mean that little to her?

Just over an hour ago he had pressed his lips to hers and reveled in her breathtaking smile. What changed? Why, within that hour did his whole life, everything he had ever wanted and knew he could never have, get pulled away from him yet again.

He found himself cursing aloud. He knew it had been a bad idea, this is why he had been keeping their relationship from going to the next level. He knew something like this would happen. But he had let himself hope, despite the knowledge that it _was _too good to be true, he had given in and let himself enjoy her. Let himself love her, let himself believe that maybe for once the girl would choose him and they'd get their happy ending, riding off into the sunset with silly grins on their faces.

Tears slipped hotly down his cheeks.

The worst part was, it was his fault. He shouldn't have left her alone, he shouldn't have slept with her, he shouldn't have _believed__her._ He should have carried doing the right thing. He shouldn't have been so selfish.

But she had been so convincing, promising him that she was better, that she loved him…

He almost hated her as much as he adored her in that moment.

She stirred and her eyes flickered open, looking up at him blearily. He met her gaze, half of him feeling such an intense relief at seeing her beautiful doe eyes staring back at him, and half of him simply feeling _betrayed._

Elena had never seen him look more heartbroken. He looked at her with nothing but pain and anger. His voice cracked when he spoke.

"How could you?"

"No Damon..."

"Were you just waiting for me to leave?" His face was twisted into an furious, pain filled grimace, he pushed her almost roughly off his lap and stood up, pacing around the room.

He looked so conflicted that she started to cry, hot, unstoppable tears streaming down her face.

"So you could…_kill _yourself while I was out and…"

"No." She sobbed.

He knew he was being cruel, but he was _angry_, he was angry at her for making him feel this way, angry at her for hurting him, angry at her for being the only thing in his life that mattered.

"Was that your plan? For me to come home and find your dead body in my kitchen?"

He broke off and choked on a sob.

"Damon please listen to me I…"

"Don't you understand what will happen to me if you die?" He shouted.

"Please stop!" She begged, her chest heaving.

He crouched back down next to her and grabbed her face in his hands, his thumbs pressing into her cheekbones almost painfully.

"How can you be so callous with your life? How can you, when it means everything to me."

His face crumpled and his eyes burned.

"You told me you were happy, you let me believe that everything was perfect…"

She tried to reach for him, but he pulled away from her and began pacing again.

"I love you Damon." She cried. "I love you more than…"

"STOP." His yell shocked her and she found herself automatically cringing away from him. "Just stop it."

He flopped down on the floor opposite her and put his head in his hands. He looked so broken, so tired, that she began to cry harder, desperately wanting to stop him from hurting.

"We'll go back to how it was before. I'll keep helping you get better…"

She suddenly found it hard to breathe. What if he pulled away from her completely and never let her back in, what if everything they had fought so hard to find was lost forever.

She crawled towards him, her knees dragging through the pools of blood on the floor.

"I _love you_ Damon. I would never want to hurt you." She whispered, begging him with her eyes to listen.

She cupped his face with her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"When you were gone I had nothing to live for. I just wanted the pain to go away. But now I have…I have you. And I love you. And you love me, I believe in that. It's something to live for, to fight for. I would never leave you Damon, I would never do that to you."

He wanted so badly to believe her.

"Then why…" He whispered, reaching out to take her hands in his, tracing his thumbs across the scars on her wrists. "Why?"

She pulled herself even closer to him, needing to feel the security of his touch, needing to assure herself that he was still there, that he wasn't going anywhere. That _he_ wasn't going to leave _her_.

"I didn't do this." She said quietly.

He frowned.

"What?"

"I didn't try to commit suicide Damon, it was the man who…"

And then she was in his lap, his strong arms circling her protectively, holding her impossibly close. His touch made it all better, the possessive way in which he was embracing her made her feel safe. Her tears finally stopped falling.

All the anger seemed to have intensified in his eyes, but now she could tell it was no longer directed towards her.

"Start at the beginning. Tell me exactly what happened." He said firmly, his voice low and dark.

She gulped and nodded.

"I came downstairs to get something to eat. I heard somebody behind me and there was this man…vampire, standing there. I asked him what he wanted, and he said… _retribution._"

Damon's jaw was clenched and his arms were holding her so tight she was having trouble breathing.

"I tried to keep him talking, and he said that you…killed his _me._ Those were his words."

She looked at Damon's face but he avoided her eyes. She couldn't get a read on him.

"Damon, he was the one that took you away. He realized that he didn't stand a chance against you so… He figured that killing me would hurt you just as bad."

She swallowed thickly.

"I told him that you would kill him if he hurt me, and he said that he _knew _that. He wanted you to think that I'd done it to myself..." She choked on a sob and tried to compose herself, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder, before whispering;

"He wanted you to believe that I didn't love you."

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm not sure if I'm happy with how this chapter turned out, it feels slightly off :( <strong>_

_**I know y'all thought that it would be Caroline who saved her... But I wanted this moment to be between Damon and Elena, so we could see how far they've come since the first time he found her like that. Caroline will come in soon, with quite a bang I might add! **_

**_Don't forget to review! _**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

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><p>They sat in silence, both clinging to each other for dear life. Not caring that they were covered in her blood, or that the acrid smell of burnt toast was filling the kitchen. They just didn't want to let go, even for a second. They had both come so close, too close, to losing the other.<p>

Damon's face was buried in her hair and he was rocking her back and forth, the whole ordeal having brought up the night he came back and found her in her bathroom. If he wasn't a vampire, he was sure he would have been shaking or even comatose by now. That sort of shock, fear and pain was almost inconceivable. Something he never wanted to relive. He had always known that he wanted Elena. But it wasn't until he had nearly lost her for good, twice, that he understood just how much he _needed_ her. He couldn't survive with her gone. Life didn't make any sense without her in it.

And so he just held her tight, her chest pressed against his, the gentle rhythm of her heart fluttering against his own.

She was crying softly, her tears soaking into his shirt. She was shivering and her hands were scrabbling to keep a grip on him, as though she thought that the second she let go, he would disappear.

She had never seemed more impossibly fragile. Damon had the sudden urge to just turn her, at least then she would be slightly less breakable. But he knew he couldn't do that.

* * *

><p>He gradually became aware of the quantities of blood that they were sitting in, it was everywhere, smeared across the floor, soaked into their clothes, drying on their skin. The vampire in him took notice but didn't make a move, the human in him, picked Elena up in his arms and left the kitchen.<p>

She wrapped her legs around him and held on even tighter as he carried her upstairs. He walked into his bathroom and turned on the shower, setting Elena down on the edge of the bath. He gently pulled his stained shirt over her head and quickly took off his own clothes, before taking her hand and wordlessly pulling her into the shower.

They stood under the hot streams, the water turning pink as it hit their feet. Damon ran his hands through her hair, across her face, gently wiping away any traces of blood. She tip-toed up to kiss him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

It was a slow kiss, full of raw emotion and love, both of them tasting her tears on their lips. He rested his forehead against hers when she pulled away to breathe.

Her hands traveled up to tangle in his hair and her watery brown eyes locked on his.

"I love you." She whispered. "Please don't ever doubt that."

He kissed each of her cheeks, tilting her chin up and placing another soft kiss on her lips before replying quietly.

"I won't."

She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him deeply, pressing her body against his until he groaned, backing her into the shower wall. He placed hot open mouthed kisses along her neck and down her collar bone, each little whimper and gasp he drew from her, music to his ears.

His hands slid down her thighs and he hoisted her up until her long legs wrapped around his waist, pressing them even closer together.

His kisses moved down to her breasts and she gasped as he drew one peak into his mouth, biting down gently. She arched her back, her hands tangled in his hair.

Bracing her against the wall with one arm, his hand traveled between her legs and she whimpered as his fingers brushed against her.

"Damon." She moaned softly.

Having assured himself that she was ready, he pushed into her, reveling in her cry of pleasure.

He kissed every inch of her face as he moved within her, his fingers stroking the silky skin of her thighs.

As sensational as their first time together had been, this was different. It wasn't just about love and desire, it was about need, fear and the desperation to be as close to each other as they could get. The raw, burning emotion was heavy in both their eyes, which were locked on each other's.

He held her impossibly close and her nails dug into his skin, pulling him closer.

Elena felt a few stray tears slip down her cheeks, and he kissed them away.

They climaxed together, moaning each other's names in ecstasy.

* * *

><p>Damon carefully washed Elena's hair and silently supported her as she walked, on shaky legs to the bed. There they lay facing each other, the covers pulled firmly around them and their fingers entwined between them.<p>

"I'm sorry." She murmured, after a while.

Damon stroked her damp hair away from her face and frowned.

"Elena, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I'm sorry for making it so easy for you to believe the worst of me."

His frown deepened and he sighed, pulling her closer so her head was resting in his chest.

"I'm sorry that I was so quick to assume that… This all just seemed, it still does seem, too good to be true." He said quietly.

"Well its not. I love you and I am never going to stop loving you. So you might as well get used it." She said, a stubborn edge leaking into her words.

He smiled and kissed her hair.

"You are the most amazing, beautiful, wonderful, sweet, kind, delicious, _precious _girl in the whole world, you know that?"

She giggled softly, snuggling into his chest. His arms tightened around her and he rested his cheek against her hair.

"Well, what matters is that I'm yours." She whispered, before closing her eyes and giving herself over to sleep.

Damon lay still, listening to her even breathing; he decided that it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

Elena was his. She was always going to be his, because he would never let her go.

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><p><em><strong>I think we're nearing the end of this story... A little bit of Caroline and Stefan drama and then we're done! <strong>_

_**Don't forget to review :)**_


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

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><p>Caroline walked, scowling up to the front door of the boarding house. She had checked in at the Gilbert home but there had been no sign of Elena. She had finally decided that she needed to pay Mystic Falls a visit, if not only to ease her conscience. She wasn't ready to see her mom; she needed to figure out what to tell her anyway. But she wanted to check on Elena.<p>

The cause of her scowl was the fact that she had resorted to visiting the Salvatore estate in search of her friend. That meant one of two things, neither of which she found desirable. Either Stefan had gone running back to Elena and she had relented and taken him back, or Damon had shown up and Elena was, for whatever reason, staying with him_._

She held her fist up to knock on the door and then rolled her eyes and shoved it open.

The unmistakable scent of blood hit her the second she entered the house. Her muscles clenched and her gums throbbed. She felt the veins beneath her eyes appear. Taking a few calming breaths, she cautiously moved towards the source of the smell. There was fresh blood all over the kitchen floor.

Caroline heard a movement above her and her eyes widened, she dashed up the stairs at lightning speed. She blurred into Damon's room, instantly taking in the scene with a gasp of horror. Damon was walking out of the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips, a damp cloth and bucket of water in his hands. Elena was lying unconscious in the bed.

"You son of a bitch." She hissed.

Damon's head snapped up and his eyes widened in surprise, before he had time to react, Caroline had launched herself at him, knocking him to the floor.

He grunted and pushed at her, batting her clawing hands away from him.

"Crazy barbie." He muttered,

She bared her teeth at him, her aggressive stance flashing with fear as he easily flipped them over and pinned her down.

"What is your issue?" He growled, fending off her attempts to injure him.

"What is my issue? Are you serious? Look at what you did to my best friend?" She yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"_What the hell_ did you to Elena you bastard." Caroline shrieked.

"Damon?" Elena sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, staring groggily at the scene in front of her. She gasped and yanked the sheets around her.

"Damon get off of her." She yelled.

He glanced at her quickly.

"Not until she promises not to attack me again." He said lazily.

Caroline continued to struggle against him.

"What? Care you _attacked _Damon?"

"You're defending him now? Look at what he did to you!"

"What? For gods sake Damon would you just get off her?"

Damon sighed and relented, gracefully leaping to his feat, his towel still miraculously secure around his waist.

Caroline jumped up and shot daggers at him, moving her body between him and Elena.

"Caroline what are you doing?" She sighed.

"Protecting you." She hissed over her shoulder, her eyes not straying from Damon.

He rolled his eyes and looked past her, giving Elena a bored look.

"Barbie seems to be under the impression that I am some sort of threat to _you._" He said with a slight smirk.

Elena almost laughed at the ridiculous thought.

"Damon would never hurt me Care." She sighed.

"You're compelled Elena. Don't you get it? You're naked in Damon's bed; you would never do that willingly. Your blood is all over the kitchen; he's been feeding from you and hurting you and then compelling you to forget!"

Damon's jaw ticked and Elena could tell that he was resisting the urge to do something that she would hate him for. Or try to at least.

Pulling the sheet firmly around her she scrambled from the bed and moved to Damon's side, placing a calming hand on his arm.

"I'm wearing Vervain. I'm in Damon's bed because I love him. And my blood is in the kitchen because I was attacked. Damon saved me." Elena said, her eyes boring into Caroline's.

The blond vampire could see she was telling the truth. She straightened up and pursed her lips, her eyes swimming with judgment. Damon flashed her a cocky smirk and wrapped an arm around Elena's waist. Elena glared at him but didn't move away.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought you ran off into the sunset with the baby bro." Damon drawled

Caroline scowled at him but didn't comment, casting a slightly guilty look towards Elena.

"Have you been back here ever since Stefan came back?" Elena asked, frowning.

"What do you mean since Stefan came back? Stefan's _here_?"

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't know?"

"No! He just took off…he came here?" She looked hurt and her brow crinkled in confusion. "What did he want?"

"Another chance with Elena." Damon scoffed, but Elena could see the flash of insecurity in his eyes.

She softly bumped her shoulder against his, silently reassuring him. He glanced down at her and smiled.

"He saw you guys together?" Caroline asked softly. "He must have gotten mad…"

"He attacked Damon." Elena growled, almost automatically stepping closer to him, her protective mate instinct coming out.

Caroline watched her movements critically, taking in the way Elena tried to position herself in front of Damon, as though her tiny human body would act as an affective shield against anything that wanted to hurt him. Damon, had a hand wrapped around her upper arm, humoring her by allowing her to feel like she was the one doing the protecting, while insuring that should anything actually happen, he could pull her behind him in a second. It was an interesting dynamic. Caroline had to admit that she had never seen anything like it.

"He wasn't on animal blood." Damon added.

Caroline sighed and moved towards the door.

"Look, I'm going to give you some time to…get dressed. And the blood downstairs really needs to be cleaned up."

"What do you think I was about to do when you burst in here yelling bloody murder?…No pun intended." Damon smirked, gesturing to the bucket of water knocked over on the floor.

Caroline pursed her lips and grabbed the cloth and bucket, pouting as she walked out.

"Caroline maybe you should let Damon do it… he has a better control over the blood lust." Elena called after her.

She looked even more annoyed but nodded stiffly and hurried from the room.

Elena turned to look up at Damon.

"Are you ok? She didn't hurt you did she?" She asked, brushing her fingers down his cheek.

"I'm fine."

He ran his hands through her hair and over her shoulders, holding her gently by the arms. He couldn't seem to go one second of looking at her without touching her.

"You should see if you can fix things with Caroline." He murmured.

She looked down and leant forward, resting her head against his chest.

"Some things can't be fixed." She sighed.

"Everything can be fixed if someone wants it bad enough. I know you miss your friend." Damon said placing a soft kiss on her head.

"Well…we'll see what she wants." She muttered.

Damon squeezed her into a tight hug for a few moments before pulling away.

"I'll go clean up downstairs." He said quietly.

She sighed; she could see that the prospect bothered him.

"I'm sorry that she was so quick to accuse you. That must have hurt." She said softly.

He shrugged.

"It's to be expected. What matters is that you trust me, that means the world."

She tip-toed up to kiss him, brushing a sweet kiss against his lips.

"I do trust you. With everything."

He kissed her back softly before pulling away and giving her a small smile.

"Let's go see what your vampire bff wants, clean up the blood on the kitchen floor and find some damn clothes."

"And people say our lives are unusual."

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><p><em><strong>I think there's going to be about two more chapters and maybe an epilogue... This is the longest story I've ever written, but I'm just so sad to wrap it up :( <strong>_

_**Don't forget to review, it makes it all worth it.. :)**_


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

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><p>"Why are you here Caroline?" Elena sighed, sitting herself down on a chair in the sitting room.<p>

Damon was in the kitchen, tactfully giving them time to talk while still being within earshot.

Caroline fidgeted with her fingers, looking nervous and slightly out of place.

"I just needed to see that you were ok…and apologize." She murmured, looking down.

"Apologize?"

"I should have stayed with you. I should have been the friend you deserved, what I did was so selfish, Elena I'm really sorry I let you down." She said in a rush, tears filling her eyes as she met her former friends' gaze.

Elena looked surprised but nodded.

"Look Caroline, it's been months. So much has changed…I'm not going to blame you for what you did! I told you at the time that I understood, I meant it." She said with a shrug.

Caroline raised her eyebrows and dared to look hopeful.

"So we're good? I mean… we're still friends?"

Elena bit her lip.

"Like I said, so much has changed. We can't ever go back to the way things were." She glanced towards the kitchen where she knew Damon was listening to every word. "But maybe, one day…we could start fresh." She relented with a sigh.

Caroline grinned and made a move to hug her before seeming to think twice about it and sat back down. Elena guessed that Damon had warned her to keep her distance. She internally rolled her eyes at his over-protectiveness, but couldn't help her small smile.

"Now I just have to figure out how to make things ok with my mom…and Matt and Tyler and Bonnie." Caroline's voice trailed off and a frown replace the grin on her face. "God I fucked up." She groaned putting her head in her hands. "They're gonna hate me!"

Elena said nothing. She might be willing to move past what Caroline did to her but she wasn't ready to feel sorry for her. She had made her bed. If she wanted to sort out her mistakes and right her wrongs then she needed to do it on her own.

A loud crash from the kitchen had Elena forgetting about everything else and racing towards the noise. She burst into the room, her eyes instantly seeking out Damon.

In a bizarre turn around of the scene she had woken up to, he was the one pinned to the floor this time. Elena's eyes flew to his attacker and widened in shock.

"Stefan?"

He looked up at her, the veins around his eyes prominent and dark.

Caroline blurred over to them and helped Damon throw Stefan off.

He landed heavily against the wall and struggled to his feet baring his teeth. His eyes settled on the blond vampire in front of him.

"Caroline?" He gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? You're the one who just took off without a word, to come and grovel at your ex girlfriend's feet." She spat.

Elena had moved to Damon's side and was quickly checking him for injuries while he fondly rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm fine." He murmured. "He's stronger than I expected. He took me by surprise."

She looked relieved before turning to the bickering pair in the room with them.

"Shut up." She yelled, surprising everyone into silence. "And would everyone just stop attacking Damon? It makes me really cranky."

"You and both sweetheart."

"Stefan what are you doing here?" Her voice was hard when she directed it to her former boyfriend.

"I wanted to talk to you." He said, taking a step towards her.

Damon shifted his weight and stared him down.

"I thought I made it clear last time we spoke that…" She began stiffly.

"Elena please." He cut her off and she scowled.

"You know, fighting with my boyfriend is not the way to get me to talk to you." She muttered.

"He jumped me first!" Stefan defended, his voice almost whiny.

"Probably because you came in through the window, that tends to scream bad intentions." She rolled her eyes.

"Look, I really just want to talk. Please Elena."

Damon and Caroline were both watching the exchange in silence. Neither really wanting to get involved.

Elena finally sighed and nodded.

"Fine." She said quickly. She walked towards the door, glancing back to give Damon a reassuring nod before leading Stefan to the sitting room.

She knew Damon and Caroline would wait outside the door until they were done, and the thought was comforting. Stefan on human blood scared her a little.

She sat in an armchair, so he had to sit opposite her not next to her. He noticed the subtle move but didn't say anything.

"What is it?" She asked coldly.

"I don't understand Elena. I don't understand how you can have just forgotten everything we had." He burst out, his eyes boring into hers.

She sighed, and her gaze softened.

"I haven't forgotten Stefan. And I will always hold that close to my heart…but we can never have that again." She said quietly.

He moved to sit on the edge of his seat, leaning towards her, his eyes desperate.

"Why not? We can have anything we want!" He exclaimed.

She shrunk back into her chair, keeping as much distance between them as possible.

"But Stefan, I _don__'__t _want it. It's the past. It's never going to anything but the past. I'm sorry." She whispered, actually finding herself feeling sorry for him as the words came out of her mouth.

"Because of Damon? You loved me before, you can love me again. You loved me first."

"I guess a part of me will always love you. But I'm not, and never will be _in _love with you. I'm sorry, but that part of my life is over." She explained softly.

His face hardened.

"All of this because of one mistake, what happened to them wasn't my fault." He spat.

"It wasn't one thing Stefan. We were growing apart anyway, the spark wasn't there anymore, there was no passion. This would have happened even if…" She broke off and looked away. Even if my family hadn't died and my whole life hadn't been turned up side down. It was a heavy thing to put into words.

"Will you ever forgive me for that?" He asked, understanding what she hadn't said.

She hesitated.

"No. I will never forgive you for taking away my chance to save my family. But I will forgive everything else. I'm not going to banish you from my life, you have been and maybe always will be, a big part of it. I am willing to try to be friends or something…" She sighed, imagining for a moment what it would be like if everyone could just get along, they could all just be happy and stop all this fighting and pain.

"But you're in love with Damon." Stefan's voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Yes." She said with finality.

"He'll hurt you."

"No he won't." Her confidence in Damon didn't waver, no matter how many times people tried to shake it, it would never waver.

"I didn't mean physically, I meant…"

"I know what you meant. And I trust him, I trust him with my life and my heart."

Stefan looked like he knew he had lost. His voice was half hearted when he spoke.

"He breaks hearts for a living."

"Not mine. Never mine."

They both knew it was true.

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><p><em><strong>Sorry for the wait! I have one more chapter and then maybe an epilogue lined up... we'll see :) <strong>_

_**Don't forget to review! ;)**_


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

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><p>"You know there's something else we need to discuss." Damon said.<p>

They had been talking about the unforeseen events of the day, sitting cuddled up on his bed.

"Oh?" Elena twisted from her position leaning back against his chest to look at him.

"I can't let him live Elena." He said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

She frowned, not immediately understanding what he was talking about.

"What? Who?" Her face puckered in confusion.

He gave her a 'really?' look and her expression washed with understanding.

"Damon." She sighed.

While she understood where he was coming from, despite everything her heart had gone out to that broken man who had so nearly taken her life. She couldn't even bare to imagine the pain he must have been in.

"It's not open for discussion, he wants you dead. I can't have someone who wants that wondering around alive and well. I won't take that risk." He continued, not allowing her to argue.

"He thinks I _am_ dead." She reminded him.

"Doesn't mean he won't stop by and check at some point." He countered.

"No I don't think he will." She murmured. He glanced down at her questioningly. "He's spent every moment since she died focusing on revenge to stop himself from thinking about her. Now that he thinks that he's taken revenge you know what he'll be focusing on? Her. He'll just be thinking of her every second…" She trailed off, feeling a stab of sadness.

"You think he'll end it himself?"

"I would, if I were him. I mean I can't even imagine.."

Damon tightened his arms around her.

"I am truly sorry for what I did to him. But I'm not going to let him do the same to me." He whispered into her hair.

"I know." She said simply. She did know and she understood, she wasn't going to try and make him say or think something else, she accepted and loved Damon for who he was, every aspect and every side.

"When I think that all those people that I… if they all had somebody who loved them how I love you… I find that hard to deal with." He muttered quietly.

Elena stared at him in surprise for a moment, it was so rare for him to open up and share something so personal.

"That wasn't you. It wasn't who you really are, the man I love, the man who's looking at me right now, is a good man. I understand that it's a vampire's instinct to kill and the fact that you fight that every day just proves how good you are."

Damon's eyes seemed to caress her face, he was gazing at her in absolute awe.

"You're an angel." He whispered, impulsively pulling her into him and claiming her mouth with his own.

* * *

><p>Damon gently traced his hand down Elena's withered cheek; she opened her beautiful brown eyes and smiled up at him.<p>

"How are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

She reached towards him with a shaking hand; he took it in his and squeezed it lightly.

"I think it's time Damon." She murmured. Her voice was small and quivering.

He nodded and a silent tear slipped down his cheek. She reached up to brush it away, the movement obviously causing her pain.

"Don't." She whispered. "It's going to be ok."

He cupped her face, brushing his thumbs lightly across her cheeks. Age hadn't taken away her beauty; she still had her innocent Bambi eyes and warm smile.

"I love you Elena." He said fervently, his voice soft and almost furious in it's sincerity.

He didn't try to check the tears that fell from his eyes.

"I love you so much." She replied quietly, speaking seemed to be getting harder for her; the words were almost inaudible.

She shifted on the bed and he lay down next to her. Facing her, their hands entwined between them.

"You made my life so beautiful." She breathed, fighting to find the oxygen to say the words.

Damon had to close his eyes for a second to compose himself.

"You made my life worth living." He replied softly, the second he trusted himself to speak.

She closed her eyes and a contented smile rested on her lips.

Damon fought his instinctual panic as he heard her heartbeat slow. He forced himself to stay calm, even though he felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest.

"Damon."

If he weren't a vampire he wouldn't have heard the last word she ever whispered.

Her heart fluttered and ceased, her hands fell limp in his, the warm smile still resting on her lips.

He sobbed, yes Damon Salvatore sobbed. He didn't think he was capable of feeling that much pain. He had known that this day was coming, he had prepared himself for it but no amount of preparation could ever make him ready.

He didn't know how long he lay on the bed crying. He just let himself go, his mind plaguing him with images of their life together.

After a while his tears stopped, he had no more left to shed. He picked himself off the bed, feeling hollow and meaningless. He pulled his ring off his finger and set it next to her still body.

He plucked one of the deep red roses from the vase that sat by her bed. He leant down and brushed his lips against her cool forehead, before placing the flower in her lifeless hands and leaving the room. He didn't hesitate as he walked through the house, didn't pause as he threw open the door. Didn't blink as he stepped into the sunlight.

"Elena." Was the last word he whispered before his body became ash.

Elena sat up in bed, tears pouring down her cheeks. Her chest heaved and she struggled for breath. The images of her heartbreaking dream tearing at her mind.

"Elena?" She felt Damon's arms snake around her waist and she threw herself against him, burying her head in his shoulder, her body shaking with sobs.

Damon pulled her into his lap and cradled her protectively against his chest.

"It was just a dream baby, you're safe. Just a dream."

He stroked her hair, and murmured soothingly as she soaked his shirt.

She pulled away abruptly, her eyes wild. Her hands clutched at his arms and her gaze was intense as she spoke.

"Turn me." She commanded, her voice unwavering.

Damon stared at her completely flabbergasted.

"What?" He spluttered, wondering whether she had fallen out of bed and hit her head without him noticing.

"Turn me into a vampire, right now." Her voice took on a desperate edge and her watery eyes gazed up at him all pleading and determined.

He reached across and flicked on the bedside light. She blinked against the sudden brightness but set her jaw in determination.

"Elena what the fuck are you talking about?" he snapped, too tired and blindsided to know what to think about this conversation.

"Damon I want you to turn me." She announced, yanking her hair to one side of her neck and exposing the delicate skin at her throat.

He backed away from her, watching her cautiously from the other side of the bed. The very idea of _killing _his Elena went against every instinct in his body. While of course he had considered what their future could be like, he wouldn't ever dream of asking her to become like him.

"Elena you had a bad dream and you're not thinking clearly. Why don't we just go back to sleep ok?" He tried to sound reassuring.

She shook her head.

"No Damon I'm serious. I want to be a vampire…I want to be with you forever."

He would be lying if he said that those words didn't make his heart leap with joy. But there were so many other things to take into account, Elena deserved so much more…a normal life, growing old, children. Could he really just take all of that away from her?

"Think about what you are saying." He tried to reason, sure that with a little time to think she would change her mind.

She sighed and reached for him, he pulled away from her.

"This is a huge thing to decide…" He stalled.

She tilted her head, revealing the soft expanse of olive skin that covered her pulse point.

"Please." She begged, her eyes wide and beseeching.

Damon compulsively licked his lips before abruptly looking away.

"I most certainly will not do it right now." He said almost indignant at the very suggestion.

She sighed and let her hair fall back around her face. She crawled towards him, sliding her hands up his chest. This time he didn't back away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"But you will at some point?" She asked softly.

He didn't reply, but brought his hands up to stroke through her hair.

She pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him, before kissing down his neck. Dragging her lips gently against his roughened skin.

"Elena." He groaned.

"Will you?" She asked, nipping at his earlobe.

He tried to pull her lips to meet his but she resisted.

"Tell me Damon." She whispered.

"We will talk about it properly tomorrow." He conceded.

"Promise?"

"I promise." He sighed before spinning them around and pressing her into the bed, crashing his mouth to hers.

She sighed in pleasure as his lips moved to trail down her jaw, she would be able to convince him, she was sure of it. The decision to change hadn't really been something she had thought about much before. But when the harsh reality of what would happen if she didn't was thrown in her face, there wasn't an ounce of doubt in her mind.

She would do anything for Damon. Including die. If she got to spend forever with him, she would be happy forever, knowing that she could tell him that she loved him every single day of eternity and watch his beautiful eyes light up.

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><p><strong><em>:) How was everybody's Christmas? x<em>**


	32. Chapter 32

_**Epilogue**_

_They hadn't figured out when she would turn yet. It was something they often argued about. She wanted it to be soon, as in tomorrow. He wanted to wait a few years, let her grow up a little. _

_Damon had done some digging and had discovered that Elena had been right. The vampire who had tried to kill her, had killed himself almost straight afterwards. Elena found herself shedding a few tears when she got that news. It only made Damon love her more. _

_Three months after making the decision to buy their own place, Damon found a beautiful little house on the outskirts of mystic falls. It had all of Damon's 'necessary luxuries' like an en suite bathroom with a huge claw foot tub and high speed internet access. As well as Elena's dream rose garden and enormous bay windows that let in the morning light. _

_When Elena graduated high school they shut the house up for a few months and spent the summer in Europe, exploring the countries, tasting the foods…_

_Stefan and Caroline re bonded and their weird dysfunctional friendship gradually grew into something more._

_Elena never fully forgave Bonnie but they got to the point where they could have a civil conversation without judging at each other. _

_Ric remained a firm part of their lives, through his marriage to a pretty doctor named Meredith, the birth of his two children, and everything in between. _

_Eventually, when she was 22 Elena convinced Damon to turn her. _

_And through everything, Damon and Elena remained strong. There were days when they'd yell and fight and storm out or burst into tears, days when some threat would breeze into town and try to ruin everything. But most of their days were made up of smiles and kisses, crazy adventures and linked hands. They were inseparable, partners, a team, lovers, soul mates, they were Damon and Elena, and** they always survived**._

_Finis_

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><p><em><strong>I know a lot of you a probably disappointed by this, I wanted there to be more too. But when I sat down to write I realized that I didn't want any more angst and all the mundane regular stuff just doesn't really fit in this story... I hope you guys aren't too mad at me :( <strong>_

_**It's been a really great story to write and thank you all so much for your support and reviews, it means the world. **_

_**Serena xoxo**_


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